End of Jusenkyo
by Frozen One
Summary: What would you do if you were at the center of an apocalyptic prophesy? What would you do if someone you love was? Ranma finally faces an enemy that doesn't hold back.
1. Omens

End of Jusenkyo

Episode 1.1 –Omens

It was a seemingly peaceful morning.

There was no noise but the settling of the house. The air still held the faint whisps of dust and inactivity. Though this place was usually a maelstrom of chaos, only peace remained now.

Outside, dew hung to every object in sight, the recently risen sun had not yet evaporated it.

Moments later, the sounds of hurried combat began, the sounds of fists swinging through the air and fewer still catching their target ended the short peace of the house.

"You're getting sloppy boy"

"You're one to talk about sloppy ya fat panda!"

Kasumi could only sigh as she watched Ranma and his father spar in the back yard through the kitchen window. She remembered doing such things at a much younger age before duty obligated her to much more _domestic_ affairs. She kept a happy demeanor about it and tried to hold onto the bright side of things, such thoughts were best kept to the past.

She may not have practiced in a long time, but her skills were by no means rusty, she knew this house like the back of her hand. The light tapping behind her could only be footprints, and at this time of the morning, the only people awake were either Ranma, Genma, herself, or…

"Good morning Nabiki, I was just getting breakfast started"

"Take your time sis, hope you don't mind me taking over the coffee pot for a moment"

"Go ahead Nabiki, but I haven't changed the filter yet"

How Nabiki could drink that stuff still amazed her. The middle sister drank the most bitter and dark coffee imaginable. Kasumi could swear it was several shades darker than a black hole and probably just as dangerous. Nonetheless, her younger sister poured herself a fresh cup and began sipping it as if it were some delicacy and carefully peered out the window from behind her.

"Kasumi?"

"Yes"

"It seems kinda weird, especially coming from me, can you even imagine a life without him?"

"What do you mean? Don't tell me you want to become his fiancé again"

"No. No. Nothing like that, I mean yeah, he's pretty well built, but a little thick. Not to mention a huge pain in the ass, an enormous expense, and more trouble than a fistful of yen."

"I suppose things have been a bit more _exciting_ lately, but I'd hardly call him trouble…" Kasumi trailed off as she began to set the table.

The door almost flew open and a cheerful, if not slightly damp, redhead walked into the room with a badly bruised panda following behind her.

"Mornin' Kasumi, Nabiki." the diminutive girl chimed as she made her way towards the table. "What's for breakfast"

"What's got you so cheerful today Saotome?" Nabiki asked before taking another sip of coffee.

"I dunno, I just got this great feeling about today" Ranma replied

"Ranma-kun, could you wake Akane for me while I finish setting the table?" Kasumi asked

With a nod Ranma bounded across the room and towards the stairs

"…and Ranma-kun, please mind bouncing around in a wet tee before the coffee completely wakes my other sister and she gets her camera"

Ranma processed this very un-Kasumi-like statement before deciding that it must have been all in her imagination and she continued her way up the stairs.

Meanwhile a wet panda bear was staining the couch while flipping through the channels on tv. Kasumi made a mental note to clean the couch after breakfast before resuming her work.

------

Akane stood in a terrain that was unnervingly familiar though she'd never been there a day in her life. The terrain was slightly hilly, with much larger mountains in the distance. Some distance ahead of her stood a large and oddly frightening lake, while behind her what seemed to be a small army.

In less time than it took for her to register, the crowd behind her rushed towards the lake, shoving her around and forcing her to the ground. She could hear something rising from the lake, though it wasn't large, in her gut it felt as if it were an avalanche headed towards her. There was some splashing, more things emerging from the lake. The sounds of combat followed, some with swords, knives, axes, and a huge array of blunt objects, though the majority seemed to be unarmed blows.

Upon spotting a large enough rock, she climbed higher to get a better vantage point high enough to survey the scene. Many of the faces in the crowd were familiar to her and many still were complete strangers. They seemed to be fighting some sort of ill-defined creatures and barely holding their own. She looked through the crowd towards the lake, every instinct in her body shouting at her to flee.

She looked towards the center of the lake, and what she saw made her lose her grip.


	2. Two kinds of love

Oh, I forgot to mention in the first part that I own none of these characters. They all belong to their respective copyright publishers. Just wanted to borrow them for a while, promise I'll bring them back and top off the gas tank.

By the way, I just wanted to thank all of you who reviewed. I promise that I'll reveal the exact nature and meaning of Akane's dream, but not quite yet. Trust me, by the time it happens you will not expect it. I promise I will try to answer any questions and fill up as many gaps as possible. As for the chapter length, my brain craps out after about a page and a half on my word processor, but I'll try.

Note: this is an edit of the earlier version of the chapter

----------

Somewhere outside the peaceful valley of Jusenkyo in China lies phoenix mountain. To the uneducated it would appear to just be a mountain, but to a few people it was the one place where you were certain to meet one of the phoenix. They were one of the few peoples that lived in the region whose lives did not revolve around fighting or war. Like the other people in this region, they knew how to keep themselves hidden.

Kiima looked at her home and sighed. Was this all there was to life? It's such a small mountain, such a secluded and secret existence, and the numbers of her people are dwindling. She could never be happy here, but she could never leave for fear of revealing her people and causing further harm to them. 

Almost a month ago all of this could have been destroyed, and by one man. One man defeated Saffron, Saffron a god! Since that time she had personally made sure that she would do as many things as possible to keep her people hidden. Gone were the days of their many spies in the neighboring villages and cities. They didn't really need Jusenkyo anymore and this time she could allow the once and future king to grow up normally.

Perhaps this was all for the best, after all, that Ranma person did move the taps and her people could now live as they hadn't since the last time Saffron was an adult, but this time permanently. After all she did, after all Saffron did, he spared them.

She avoided her cursed form after that day, only using it when she needed to leave the mountain. This person, the person who owned this body originally almost died, and at her hands nonetheless. The last thing she wanted to see was that face in the mirror.

_When had she gone from being the defender of her people to a murderer?_

Using someone else's life as nothing more than a means to an end.

"I thought you'd be up here Kiima" a young boy's voice piped in from behind her.

"and I thought that you'd still be in school" she replied.

The diminutive form of Saffron stood behind her, having grown already to the apparent age of four or five in the span of a month. This was good news for her, she was never a person who was good with babies, and as protector of her people she was automatically assigned the duty of rearing their king. It hadn't happened this way last time, last time he aged normally enough, considering he wasn't born. Both facts happened to bother her.

"It was boring, nobody even bothered to correct me" he said with a sad tone in his voice.

"I see" she replied, still lost in thought.

It was true, fearing the power he would probably have again none of his people would stand up to him. This really bothered her, if they couldn't even pretend that he was an equal, then what was to stop him from growing back into the way he was before. Something was different this time though, whether it be the accellerated growth or something else, Saffron was different this time around.

"Kiima, I want to tell you something..."

"Yes Lord Saffron?" He never acted like a real child before. Always as if he was someone or something better, and he knew it.

"Kiima. . . I love you. You're the closest thing I've had to a mother, twice. You've always treated me with respect instead of fear and for that I thank you."

Saffron watched as his personal guard and two-time surrogate mother opened her mouth as if she were going to respond, then promptly faint.

----------

Despite the fact that she was in fact female this moment, Ranma really didn't have anything to complain about. Since she was in such a good mood she really didn't see any harm in fulfilling Kasumi's request either. Akane's near death seemed to soften both her temper and his mouth, though the failed wedding did return some of the strain to their relationship.

As she made his way into her fiance's room, she paused a moment. How should she wake Akane? Though their relationship was on better terms then it's been since, well since it's ever been, Akane still had a habit of pounding the hell out of her on a frequent basis. The hard part about it was pinpointing whether or not it was just ingrained into her psyche or if it was just play.

As she stood above the head of Akane's bed thinking about what to say as to not be projected too far, she began to notice Akane was covered in a faint sheen of sweat. Her eyes were darting around and her fists were clenched, clutching her sheets as if she were hanging on to something for her very life. Ranma knew what this meant.

"WAKE UP YA STUPID TOMBOY, IT'S ONLY A DREAM!"

"HOLYSHIT!" Akane exclaimed as she jumped up at a speed that made Ranma wonder if she had been practicing the amaguriken.

"Pervert!, what are you doing in here?" she yelled brandishing Mallet-sama inches from the redhead's face.

"Just thought ya might like some breakfast before the stupid panda gets it" she yelled back.

"Oh, ok then, tell Kasumi I'll be down soon, and Ranma?"

Wow! , she managed to say something without pissing Akane off! Ranma thought to herself

"Yes?"

"This is for calling me a 'stupid tomboy' again"

Before her brain could even process that statement she found herself malleted out of the room, through the hall, and down the stairs. She could faintly hear someone mutter 'baka' under their breath. Strange, she was both conscious and still on the ground, her spirit wasn't dampened one bit. It hurt, but at least she didn't have to walk very far to get back to Kasumi.

"She only hit me within the house, it must be love!"

"Thank god I don't have to pay to have the roof patched again Saotome" Nabiki muttered while sipping on her coffee. "My little sister is softening to you."

Ranma glared at Nabiki


	3. A not so Happi moment

Can Ranma and the cast come out and play? I promise I'll bring them back when I'm done.

Thank you again for all of the additional comments. Again, I hope that this comes out well, but if it doesn't, then tell me what I did wrong. I do realize that there's always room for improvement.

Anyways you may have noticed nothing much has happened yet, I'm getting to it just laying down the way some things have changed and some have remained the same.

Note: this is an edit of an earlier version of the chapter.

----------

Cologne knew something was wrong. In her many years, she could just feel these things like you would feel the air against your face, faint, but undeniably there. It was Son in law, No Ranma, she knew that he would never fall for Shampoo now. She wanted her great-granddaughter to be happy, hopefully with him, but when she saw that it was not to pass she wanted to entice him to either become a warrior or an ally to her people.

The wedding!

Damn it!

He was willing to go through with it.

Shampoo may have just ruined all of her work and training. If Ranma were naturally female, or at least a little more tolerant of his curse, he would make a better heir than Shampoo. He had already been taught far more in fighting and ki manipulation. He had a spirit she admired and was often willing to defy her even when she outpowered him.

She gritted her teeth while looking out side the dirty window. After the bad publicity Nabiki's father had paid the girl to spread, nobody would come into the restaurant except out-of-towners and the regulars who were too stubborn to leave. Maybe things would be fine if she just died and left everything to Shampoo, she could study the small library of scrolls that they kept to make up for what she hadn't learned yet.

Ranma.

Why did her thoughts keep coming back to him?

She supposed that it was all because she would have to returned disgraced, or without a proper heir. She tried to dismiss all of those thoughts, they weren't pertinent to her current plans, dismantling the remains of the Nekohanten.

----------

As the Tendo and Saotome families sat down to eat their breakfast, all of them noticed something was off.

"Hey where's the old freak?" Ranma asked as politely as possible. "I've been female most of this morning and haven't been groped" he continued.

"I believe that grandfather Happosai said something about a training trip late last night" Kasumi answered.

"Oh happy day! The master has left us!" an overjoyed Soun Tendo exclaimed.

"Isn't it Tendo, we are free from our terrible curse and now there's nothing to stop us from getting Ranma and Akane..."

A glare from a certain pigtailed martial artist and his hammer weilding fiance made Genma rethink his current strategy.

"... to go and relax undisturbed while the master is gone. Heh heh"

"I couldn't agree more my good friend, I'll call the priest right awa... What?"

"I dunno about the rest of you, but I'm gonna start enjoy'n my time once I get that little gnome's stash out of the house" Ranma said between bites.

----------

Ryouga was lost. If anybody were ever to tell you otherwise would either indicate one of two things. He either fighting Ranma, or he was dead. He had left Akari's farm to go out and get her groceries from the market. Unfortunately he had taken a wrong turn at Chicago and ended up somewhere in the Ukraine as far as he could tell. Oh well, he supposed that if he just kept walking he would at least find somebody that could point him in the right direction.

He turned a corner and found himself back in Nerima, more specifically at the Tendo house.

"Akane, I hope that ass is making you happy."

"Oh hello Ryouga-kun, we haven't seen you in quite some time." Kasumi said as she waved at him.

Ryouga blushed, silently praying to any available god that Kasumi had not heard that.

"Please do stay, I'm off to the market to buy some food before lunch" she chimed.

"Actually I was looking for the market myself before I go back to Akari's" he replied.

"Well then, would you come with me? I have an awfully large list of things to get and I don't think that I could get all of it in one trip."

"Sure thing Kasumi. Would you mind waiting one minute? I have to get something out of my pack."

Ryouga checked his backpack for his wallet and found it empty.

"Kasumi, Do you know where my spare pack that I keep here is?"

Ryouga found that since he got lost and lost his clothes when he was cursed it was a good idea to leave packs behind hidden at places he frequently wound up. Each pack was fully supplied with clothes, food, and money in case he lost the one he was carrying. He wasn't worried that Nabiki would take any of it, she wasn't above cheating or scamming, but she would never steal, she claimed that there was no fun in it.

"It's behind the dojo Ryouga" Kasumi responded.

Ryouga inched towards the dojo and placed his hand upon the side of it, running it along the wall of the dojo as he moved around the side. He did not want to get lost when he was _this close_ to the market. 

After rounding the corner he found what he was looking for. Upon closer investigation he found that someone had opened his pack. "Damn it, I guess she would steal." No, his money was still in there, as were his clothes, his food and a few camping supplies. Everything was here, it appeared as if nothing was wrong. He grabbed some bills and packed everything back up"

Ryouga placed his hand upon the wall as he walked around the dojo again to return when it finally hit him.

"Wait, where's my hunting knife?"

Oh well, not that big of a deal. Perhaps Kasumi would know. As he turned the next corner he noticed that the surface of the dojo wall had gotten rougher. Looking at it he noticed that he was in fact touching the bark of a large tree and that he was no longer anywhere near the Tendo dojo, but in middle of a forest.

"Damn it!"

----------

Ranma set about towards Happosai's room to demolish his panty collection while he was gone. He deserved it after drinking that water during the wedding. He deserved a lot more, but Ranma wasn't willing to hurt an old man, not really. Honor made his life hell sometimes, but like the nekoken, it was something he couldn't shake.

As was about to enter the room he noticed a strange smell.

"I guess the old freak's collection is starting to turn."

Lightly pushing the door open, he slowly walked into the room, stunned at what he saw.

As a martial artist Ranma had seen blood a few times before, but nothing had prepared him for this. This was beyond blood, this was a massacre. Piles of panties covered in more blood than he had ever seen at once, and in the middle of the room a mangled, deathly pale Happosai lay unconcious, barely clinging to his life.

Ranma did what any trained professional would have done when first encountering such a scene.

Ranma vomited.


	4. A not so natural attacker

Once again I don't own any of these characters. They're not mine, and I'm man enough to admit it.

  


This is probably my longest one yet, a really bad case of insomnia and fanfiction.net being down were the major contributors to this.

  


  


*----------*

  


In the catacombs of a nearby cemetery in the Nerima District, two figures talked, one of them a young man, the other a formless shadow. The only ears nearby to hear them were too busy decaying to be of any threat to the secrets of their conversation.

  


"Did you get the scroll?" The demon asked. It's voice deeper and fouler than any of any of nature's creatures.

  


"I searched the old man's room" the boy responded with fear in his voice.

  


"Did you get the scroll or not?" the demon hissed.

  


"No. The old man didn't have it." the boy cringed as he said this.

  


"You lie! Our master will not be pleased." the shadow shifted and bolts of energy went into the boy causing him to scream.

  


"No" the boy screamed again "I searched his room! While they slept! I searched his room!"

  


"Realize this boy. You are our puppet. You are merely a tool for our ends now. If you fail in the tasks I give you, if my master is not released in time, you will suffer in ways none of your kind have ever experienced. The prophesy will not be stopped."

  


"I shall not fail you master, I shall find the scrolls you need."

  


"Very well, we shall search the amazons next" the shadow said "go and leave my sight you pitiful creature"

  


As the demon ceased its assault, Gosukugi ran outside towards the daylight, towards his freedom. He had to get away no matter how temporary that time would be. He would see that shadow again, he had no choice in the matter.

  


*----------*

  


Akane decided that she would help Ranma with his self-appointed task of ridding the house of excess panties. After all, the freak did deserve it for all those trips to the school locker room.

  


She walked out from the kitchen with a smile on her face. The dishes were one thing that Kasumi reluctantly let her do in the kitchen. Nobody was as good at doing the dishes as she was. Sure the few times he had tried Ranma had managed to do all of them in the span of thirty seconds, but they were not as clean. Akane scrubbed them so clean Kasumi had to send them back to be re glazed every time. She smirked at that thought as she started up the stairs.

  


As she finished making her way up to the top of the stairs towards the bedrooms she noticed Ranma heaving in the hallway. Honestly! that baka didn't even have the common sense to run to the bathroom!

  


"Ranma, I hope that you're gonna clean up after yourself!"

  


"Akane, get pops, get help" he calmly said in a voice that actually sounded scared

  


"Whats wrong Ranma? What did you do this time..." Akane said before she peered into the room.

  


*----------*

  


Kasumi was waiting for Ryouga. He said he would return soon so she felt that it would only be polite to wait a little longer. Ryouga was such a nice boy, he and Ranma were such good friends. The way that Ryouga would drop by and surprise everyone with presents and the way he and Ranma would play always made Kasumi feel a little happier.

  


She would have waited longer if it wasn't for a loud scream coming from inside the house. Oh well, she should go see what it was, perhaps it was Akane making a snack, she always did get a little carried away. Ryouga will find his way without her eventually.

  


*----------*

  


Kiima awoke in her bedroom, to the familiar sights and sounds she normally woke up too. Well, it would have been the same if the sun was up and a young Saffron wasn't asleep above the covers next to her. She realized that it must have been hours since she fainted, and that he must have dragged her all the way home by himself. He was dirty and sleeping as soundly as she was a moment ago.

  


He had said he loved her. Nobody loved her, she had fear and respect, but nobody had loved her before. At an early age her parents left her alone to the military, they had said it was because they couldn't afford to feed her. She knew the truth though, she had been sold into civil service because her father couldn't afford to pay his gambling debts.

  


Why was she loved? She wasn't the prettiest, the most ladylike, or even a good enough guard to protect him properly! She didn't even want to be a phoenix anymore! She had long since contemplated leaving, but having failed Saffron in the past, she couldn't betray her people again. Was this treacherous failed guard really worth loving?

  


With nothing else to do, and the room becoming more uncomfortable with Saffron's continued presence, Kiima made her way to the school teacher's house to educate her about why she should follow the orders of the military when it comes to the treatment and care of the king.

  


*----------*

  


Tofu was unavailable, away on some meeting with his colleagues to discuss new medicines and techniques. Kasumi didn't really understand why the family always jumped to him when someone was injured. Tofu was such a silly man, for such a professional with such high accolades from his patients, he never seemed to be paying attention to what he was doing.

  


Kasumi had no idea who she could call about this situation that would possibly be able to handle grandfather Happosai. The old man was silly too, but he was also too excitable for his own good sometimes.

  


Just then it hit her like a bolt of lightning! Elder Ku-lon knows medicine and she was friends with Happosai once! Won't it make him happy to see one of his old friends taking care of him. Yes! Something like this would definitely help him recover faster.

  


Kasumi picked up the phone and ordered delivery from the Nekohanten, asking specifically that Ku-lon come as well. This way she could not only get medical help, she could get something to eat as well, she had not managed to go to the market after all.

  


*----------*

  


Nabiki was worried, someone had managed to get into her home. One of the strongest people in the house was near death and nobody even noticed while they slept. She was scared, but not terrified. Nobody could terrify Nabiki Tendo, she would find out who this sicko was and turn that information in to the police.

  


When it came to other people, the more money she could get, the better. When it came to her family, she spared no expense. Though she would never let them know that, it would ruin the image that she wanted to keep. She would also never let them know about that security system she arranged to have installed while they were away in China, though if she had to use this evidence then no doubt they would find out.

  


Nabiki opened her closet and reached behind her clothes. Past them she found what she was looking for, a small flat screen and the controls for the digital recording system. She didn't know exactly when it had happened, so she entered in the time she went to bed last night and switched camera views to Happosai's room.

  


She watched in fascination as the events of last night unfolded at approximately four times the normal speed.

  


Happosai talking to Kasumi. U huh

Happosai packing some things into a suitcase. Okay

Happosai taking a big whiff of some of his newer panties Ewww

  


Wait a minute, what was that? At the bottom of her screen she noticed a black fog beginning to cover the lens. She paused the film to try to investigate exactly what it was. The fog kept moving, Happosai, the rest of the room was still, but the fog was still moving.

  


"Na-BI-ki TEN-do" a voice hissed out from the speaker.

  


At this point the fog had covered the entire screen. Two eyes, glowing red eyes appeared right in the middle and seemed to be staring directly at her.

  


"Na-BI-ki TEN-do" it repeated before the screen exploded and sent shards of glass and sparks into her face.

  


*----------*


	5. Triage

I believe that a disclaimer is in order here

  


Oh, just to be clear, when the amazon's think of or refer to themselves, they will use the proper names, when anybody else does it will sound more like a beauty product. Just in case you think that I'm getting confused about what to call them.

  


And a special thank-you goes out to a Mr. Wiener for posting comments so regularly, please let me know how I'm doing. I enjoy finding comments in my inbox.

  


Thank you sir may I have another?

  


*----------*

  


Ku-Lon was mildly irritated, but also enjoying the situation. She had come to the Tendo home thinking that she was invited for lunch. She hadn't realized that she would also be setting up a triage in the middle of the family room. Not only had Happosai been attacked, but they had found Nabiki on the floor of her room unconscious and bleeding profusely from the face.

  


Treating Nabiki's wounds gave her a sweet feeling inside, here she was, this girl who had ruined her business, needing her help. Oh yes, now she had leverage in the situation. Perhaps she would try to minimize the scarring that was bound to occur on the young girl's face. Perhaps not.

  


Happosai was another story altogether, he had lost a lot of blood, and whatever had attacked him had drained him of almost all of his ki. He might recover if she were to remain here with him for the next few nights. After bandaging him and treating him with as many herbs as she could find around the house.

  


Kasumi was surprisingly well stocked in many of the herbs and medicines that could treat most minor and a few major ailments, as well as some medical books, possibly borrowed from Tofu. She managed to get most of what she needed for preventing infections and for strengthening their bodies from lack of blood. She knew she could do better with more supplies.

  


It was getting late though and shadows were starting to creep along the streets. She was tempted to send Xian-Pu to fetch more supplies, but she didn't completely trust in her ability to come back right away without picking up anything unnecessary (like love potions). She knew that in order to get something this important done, she may very well have to call upon the assistance of Mu-Tsu, he could after all carry quite a few things in those robes of his. She picked up the phone and dialed the number to the Nekohanten.

  


While she was waiting for him to pick up, she couldn't help thinking that whoever was out there was dangerous. If anyone could do this to Happi and remain completely undetected, she should find out who it was, and how much of a threat this person may pose to her or to Ranma. Even if that boy would not honor Amazon law he was still her best pupil.

  


*----------*

  


It had been hours since Xian-Pu and Ku-Lon had left for the Tendo home and Mu-Tsu was getting antsy. He knew that they were likely to stay for lunch as the ghoul had informed him, but this was well past that time. Heck, it was past dinnertime.

  


The bell sounded as someone entered the front door. The glare from the setting sun prevented him from seeing anything more than a silhouette.

  


"We're closed for the day!" Mu-Tsu shouted from past the back counter.

  


"Where is Cologne?" the figure said in a half growl, half hiss.

  


"She's gone for the moment, perhaps you should come back another time."

  


"No, I think now is the perfect time." the figure said as he stepped into the light.

  


Gosunkugi launched himself at Mu-Tsu screaming like a bat out of hell. Unprepared from such an attack The partially blind martial artist barely managed to sidestep the attack. The smaller boy fell, hard, so hard that he swore he could hear something break. Said boy didn't stay down however and immediately jumped again in his direction.

  


"Aren't you the geeky voodoo-kid that goes to Saotome's school?" Mu-Tsu asked while launching chains at his attacker.

  


Gosunkugi didn't make any response other than a feral growl. He was bound from head to toe in thick layers of chains topped off with a duck training toilet on his head. He wasn't strong enough to break these chains, much less loosen them. His shadow twitched and then he giggled maniacally.

  


Mu-Tsu was knocked off his feet. He may have been blind without his glasses, but he could swear there was nobody else in the room. Then he saw what had attacked him, or rather he didn't as the shadow enveloped him.

  


*----------*

  


Mu-Tsu recalled hearing the phone faintly ringing from across the room. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. All his limbs were becoming numb and all his cares were slowly drifting away as he peacefully slipped into unconciousness. He dreamed of his beloved Xian-Pu, of how he loved her, and in a moment he dreamed no more.

  


*----------*

  


A pale-faced Akane and Ranma locked themselves in the bathroom. They had seen enough for today and did not feel like putting up with Shampoo's antics. Shampoo was supposed to be helping Cologne with Happosai and Nabiki, but instead she followed them around the house begging her airen to forgive her for the wedding.

  


"You know she's not just going to go away that easy Ranma." Akane stated.

  


A wailing sound from outside the door confirmed this.

  


"I know, but I just don't know what to tell her."

  


"What would you like to tell her?"

  


"Well, a few four-letter words I learned in English class come to mind."

  


"Not, like she would understand you, though" she commented "I barely do half the time"

  


"Are you okay Akane?" Ranma asked

  


"As best as I could be I suppose..."

  


"...given the circumstances" he finished for her. "I know"

  


"You?"

  


"Terrible, I just can't believe that Kasumi's food tastes better coming up than your's does coming down." he joked

  


"You jerk" she muttered, she was not in the mood to hit him right now

  


*----------*

  


Dammit! Khu-lon slammed the phone down hard enough to crack the handle. That idiot wasn't answering the phone. Someone was going to have to go there and get the medicine themselves. She knew exactly who to send.

  


*----------*

  


Ranma and Akane walked towards the Nekohanten with a very long list in hand. Shampoo had been ordered to stay behind, Cologne had reprimanded her for not focusing on the task at hand. If she were ever to learn to be a village elder, then she would have to learn something more advanced than simple field medicine.

  


Akane was lost in thoughts about Cologne. Had she finally given in to the idea that Ranma would not marry Shampoo? Had she done so right away? After all, she had taught Ranma so many techniques that to marry him into the tribe would be a waste. He would be thought of as nothing more than a slave by the other women.

  


Cologne would never bother to train someone who would be a slave, right? An old woman, so stuck in her traditions would not waste her time on someone who would not be a warrior, that would make no sense. What was Ranma to her then?

  


*----------*

  


The Shadow waited patiently. From it's vantage point on the wall, he had torn up the entire establishment and still no sign of the Endtime scrolls. Night was falling fast, and as soon as the darkness came, that boy's body would belong to it. 

  


It was a pity that when it was released fate would have him bound to such a weakling. Little by little the shadow burrowed its way into his soul, gaining more and more control. Tonight would be the night it would finally have total control over this body. Until the sun rises the next day, the boy's body was his.

  


Using the boy's knowledge it knew right away to avoid the local magic shops. From what it could tell they were filled with junk that would be of no use to him. He would have jumped straight away to china, but it sensed the scrolls nearby. How they left the Amazon village to come here was a mystery, but it wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

  


It would complete it's mission. It would find the scrolls, return to China, and bring about the resurrection of its master, and the end of all things.

  


*----------*


	6. Awakening

Hi there, I'd like to rent one cast of anime characters please. I promise to minimize the bloodloss this time. No, really, I swear.

  


Thank you again for the comments (what few there were). Please comment, I crave the attention. Please feel free to let me know how I'm doing, cause from this point on things are gonna start getting darker and darker.

  


}:)

  


Also, looking for anybody who wants to be a pre-reader. May spoil some of the story for you but you'll get to see early versions of chapters before I post them. I really like the feedback.

  


*----------*

  


Night had finally fallen upon Nerima, the darkened streets led to even darker alleys. Despite it's foreboding appearance, this area of Japan was one of the safest to live in. Relitively safe at least.

  


Ranma and Akane walked alone that night, only the sounds of their footsteps kept them company. There were too many things on each of their minds to really allow for talking. They would have roof-hopped, or at least run the way, but they were too concerned with the events at hand to even think of such things.

  


Their destination was the Nekohanten restaurant, or as the locals tended to think of it, the little Amazon colony. Despite the fact that there were only three employees, every customer was served in a timely manner. To the customers it was great service, to the employees it was serious training.

  


It didn't take long for them to find their destination. It was only a few blocks from the neighborhood where they lived anyways. From the outside you could see what the infulential power of Nabiki Tendo could accomplish, the walls on the front were littered with stains of various items thrown at it, the windows were broken, and racial slurs were painted in various places. The lights were off and the air had an almost sorrowful feel to it.

  


"Something tells me she went too far Akane."

  


"Do you think that it's safe to leave Nabiki with them Ranma?"

  


"Yeah, the old ghoul is too honorable to do anything to her that she doesn't deserve."

  


*----------*

  


Gosunkugi was still searching the rooms of the Nekohanten when he heard voices outside.

  


"Oh no Ranma and Akane! I can't let them see me here like this!"

  


He prepared to run, knowing full well that the shadow would punish him as soon as they were alone. He would not let it hurt Akane, even if she would rather be with Ranma than him. The shadow had already killed, and he was not sure if that was all it was capable of.

  


His feet refused to move, Ranma and Akane had already entered the front door and his feet were frozen in place. His arms were going numb now and a cold feeling was spreading inwards from his extremities. It was at his waist, his chest, and his neck, he closed his eyes as the feeling passed over his head. He would not open them until the following morning.

  


*----------*

  


The inside of the Nekohanten didn't look much better than the outside, the tables were turned over, the chairs were broken, and the back counter had huge dents that were obviously made by very small hands. Ranma knew where Cologne kept her potions and made his way towards the back of the store, to a closet next to the kitchen. Ranma pulled the list of items out of his pocket and started to read.

  


"Shit! Akane, we're gonna have to go back home. This list's completely in chinese!"

  


Akane took one look at the list and began grabbing bottles and jars with very little hesitation.

  


"Hey ya brute, whatta ya think you're gonna do ,bring the whole closet?" Ranma said, once again digging himself into a hole.

  


"Honestly you baka! The labels on the jars are in chinese too. Just match the symbols!" She would hit him, but if she did he couldn't help her carry these home now could he?

  


After managing to aquire everything that they had set out for, they made their way out to the door in silence. Akane had made him feel like an idiot, but then again he did have to admit that the answer was pretty obvious.

  


*----------*

  


Ahhhh

  


These two were familiar to its host.

  


Shadow/Gosunkugi was standing perfectly still in a darkened corner completely undetected. The boy, Ranma Saotome, could be more trouble than he's worth. The girl, Akane Tendo, would also pose a threat to it's mission. Best to remain cloaked in the darkness until the proper time presented itself.

  


If the boy's mind wasn't lieing to it then they lived in the same house as Happosai. Perhaps it could follow them and see what they would lead him too.

  


It was hard to suppress a chuckle, after all, its been thousands of years since it had the proper equipment to do so.

  


*----------*

  


When the wheels in Ranma's head finally started turning he began to notice something was... off.

  


"Waitaminute! Where's Mousse?" he said as soon he realized. "Mousse, where are you? The crone's been looking for you."

  


"Mousse!" Akane joined

  


"No answer" Ranma whispered

  


"Maybe he went to my house, maybe we just missed him and didn't see him." fear was beginning to show itself in her voice

  


"I dunno Akane, this seems fishy to me. You go home with the medicine, and I'll stay here and look around for a bit."

  


"Are you implying that I can't help you?" she began to fume (visibly)

  


"No you idiot tomboy, I'm implying that somebody needs to get that medicine back home!" Ranma barked. He had never yelled at her like this before. Something was unnerving him about being here.

  


Akane didn't even bother to respond as she fled the Nekohanten with tears in her eyes. If either of them had bothered to pay attention, they may have noticed a shadowy figure following her home.

  


*----------*

  


Kiima returned to her room to find the boy king was still there. He had visibly aged since she saw him early this morning and seemed as if he was waiting for something.

  


"Saffron? What are you doing here?" was the first thing she could think of saying.

  


"I came to tell you my secret, one that will change our people forever." 

  


There were a few more things that he wanted to say, but he felt that it should best be taken slowly. If he were to tell her too much, then she may not be able to handle what he was going to say.

  


"What secret?"

  


"I'm going to die" he calmly stated

*----------*

  


Ranma continued his examination of the restaurant after she left, finding the upstairs in shambles as well. Somebody had raided the chest of Amazon treasures that Cologne brought with her as well as her scrolls. Cologne's room was also raided, boards had been pulled up from the floor and walls.

  


Someone was looking for something, just like what happened to Happosai's room. Shit! If this was the same person and they were after Cologne, then Akane would be in danger. As he turned around to run back home a tall, robed figure blocked his way.

  


"Going somewhere Saotome?" the creature that looked like Mousse hissed

  


*----------*

  


Upon her arrival, Akane divulged everything that had happened to Cologne, visibly stressed. She had explained the condition of the Restaurant, both inside and out, as well as the disappearence of Mousse. She was about to tell her more when Nabiki woke up screaming.

  


"He's here! He's here! HE'S HERE!"


	7. Mistakes and Successes

The shadow had managed to follow Akane all the way to her house. If what it had overheard was true, both Nabiki and Happosai were injured. Cologne was probably treating them, she might have the scrolls on her person, or at the very least tell it where they were.

  


"He's here! He's here! HE'S HERE!" Nabiki screamed with a desperate sound in her voice.

  


The shadow shifted a bit, worried that somehow it might have been detected. Best not to engage them yet, even if they were aware of it's presence, they weren't aware of it's location.

  


Cologne grabbed a bottle out of Akane's arms and popped a pill into Nabiki's mouth. Nabiki collapsed in a heap back onto the table she was laying on. 

  


The shadow relaxed a bit, the girl was tranquilized and no longer either a threat or an annoyance. It had been so long since it had actual ears to hear with, it had forgotten how shrill the cries of a scared girl could be. As soon as it had secured those scrolls it could return to china and rid itself of this body.

  


"The poor dear is hysterical from her ordeal." Cologne muttered "Akane, where's Ranma? Where's Mu-Tsu?"

  


"Ranma stayed behind. We didn't see Mousse there, we figured he would come here." Akane responded. "The place looked terrible"

  


"Business has been... not well lately" the elder said in a sad voice.

  


*----------*

  


"Mousse what the hell has gotten into you?" Ranma shouted

  


Mousse didn't respond and instead send chains flying towards his target. Ranma dodged and weaved through the incoming projectiles but there were too many. It had now become more a matter of choice, what to dodge and what to let hit him. He dodged a few of the spear-tipped chains aimed for his midsection only to be cut along his arms and legs. A small cry of pain and surprise escaped his lips before he clamped down and gritted through the sting.

  


"Whattaya want, ya stupid fool? I don't want Shampoo, you can have her!"

  


Mousse made no reply except a quick punch to Ranma's face. Ranma returned the punch, plus several hundred more, to Mousse's gut. Mousse didn't even grimace.

  


"What the hell is wrong with you, been sniffin' the old ghoul's potion cabinet?"

  


Ranma finished this statement with a flurry of punches and kicks to Mousse's chest, but his hands felt like they were hitting a pillow. A pause while he contemplated what this meant was all Mousse needed to pick him up by his neck and throw him trough the wall into the next room. Crashing through drywall, support beams, and another set of drywall into the bathroom sink was not exactly an experience that he, now she, would like to repeat.

  


Ranma launched herself from a crouching position in the floor ready to knock some sense back into the crazed amazon. Mousse ducked her jumping kick and turned around pulling a stick out of his robe and striking her in the back with it.

  


"This is gonna take a while" The redhead muttered under her breath before running back into the fray

  


*----------*

  


It had been a while since she had left Ranma and Akane was getting worried, well, worried and annoyed. She watched Cologne treat her sister with some herbs that would calm relax her as well as heal her wounds. She also watched the elder teach Shampoo how to treat blood loss and ki drainage in Happosai. 

  


Akane felt alone. She had only her thoughts to keep her company right now.

  


*----------*

  


Night was beginning to fall upon the residents who lived near the accursed pools. Saffron had left Kiima's quarters after tucking her back into bed, she couldn't keep from fainting today. He wanted to tell her more, he wanted to tell her everything.

  


What could he say "The end of the world is about to occur and its all my fault" or perhaps "I'm letting myself die because of a prophesy I don't want to be fulfilled." No, none of those would work, the only thing that would work would be to show her.

  


Wonder if she'd faint again?

  


Oh well, he had at least two more weeks to make sure that Saotome didn't die.

  


*----------*

  


Mousse was unrelenting, sending punch after kick after projectile, with no signs of fatigue. The smaller martial artist was having a hard time defending herself without resorting to lethal methods. She had tried to knock him out, she had tried to wear him down, but if anything she was only tiring herself.

  


She would have resorted to killing him if it weren't for the fact that reality had once more slapped her across the face today. She rushed at Mousse, dodging a clumsy lunge, and ran past him to the bathroom she had so recently been introduced to.

  


"Alright buddy, you asked for it!" Ranma shouted before kicking the wall busting the water pipe wide open sending a large spray of water covering both of them.

  


In the dim lighting Ranma noticed two more obvious things, one, Mousse wasn't wearing his glasses, and two, he hadn't changed.

  


"Well, fuck!" was all the exasperated female could say.

  


*----------*

  


Happosai awoke screaming, for his encore he continued by coughing up blood. He gasped and wheezed like a dieing animal and looked fearfully, frantically around the room.

  


"is it safe?" he whimpered

  


Unsure of who should answer him, everyone in the room went silent. Cologne took it upon herself to respond to him. "Yes Happi, it's safe."

  


"I did a bad thing Ku-Lon" he continued

  


This was more serious than the elder suspected, he never called her by her true name unless it was important.

  


"I took them. When I took your other treasures. I took them, those accursed scrolls."

  


"What scrolls Happi? Which ones did you take?"

  


"I took all of the ones that were easy to get to, but then I saw it. I had to have it."

  


"Which scrolls did you take Happi?" she had to know.

  


"Endtimes... Ranma... It's him, the poor boy, had to get away, had to get far away, but it found me, and now it will find us all"

  


"Endtimes..." Shampoo whispered under her breath while seeming lost in thought.

  


"Oh Happi, oh gods Happi, what have you done?"

  


"Scrolls are still safe, hidden with my other treasures, safely hidden where no shadow can find them." he muttered, seeming more like a deranged psychopath than a perverted psychopath.

  


*----------*

  


Ranma was tired, wet, and angry. This couldn't be Mousse. Mousse wasn't this good. Was he?

  


She couldn't get any attacks in. He predicted (and prevented) a Hiryu-Shoten-Ha, as well as dodged some ki blasts that should have been dead on. Physical attacks were just not working and ki attacks were either dodged or redirected. In short things sucked for Ranma right about now.

  


The Nekohanten was in about the same shape as she was. The walls were either broken or scorched, one of the walls leading to the outside was blown out completely. The lights, useless as they were, had exploded from the sheer amount of energy that had been discharged.

  


"Saotome! It's time I ended this."

  


The Mousse creature grinned. His mouth was filled with long needle-like teeth that gleamed as a thick black foam ran down his cheek. He had the advantage, Ranma was tired and weakening. He prepared to make the final killing blow.

  


Ranma needed to find a weakness in her opponent. So far she had come up empty. She had tried everything short of fire and electrocution, but how would she get the chance to do those. She didn't want to kill him, but he left her no other choice.

  


Gathering some of the used chains on the floor, she swung them around the room, targeting them just past Mousse. When they all but one of them had embedded themselves in the floor in the middle of the room, Ranma made her move.

  


She began a quick circle around the room, preparing another Hiryu-Shoten-Ha. Mousse made a move to counter it, but was quickly knocked back into the center of the room by a powerful kick, Ranma was not going to hold back any longer. Ranma sped up, increasing the strength and intensity of the winds.

  


The chains were flailing about at a deadly speed, bouncing of walls and Mousse's body. Before she would normally finish the tornado, she stopped moving altogether and allowed the winds to die. As the winds slowed the chains began to take up their motion and wrap themselves around the robed demon's body.

  


Knowing that she would have very little time left. Ranma tossed both ends of the chains in opposite directions, one end and at her opponent's bound form, and the other at the power lines that were now accessible through the gaping hole in the wall.


	8. One victory and one defeat

Sorry about the delay, my insomnia went away and it was pretty difficult to get the time in to do this between work and school. Anyways, you should know what to expect at this part, a disclaimer, so I'm gonna let you think of a clever one on you're own to insert at this point.

  


Again a big thank you to all who have submitted a review.

  


*----------*

  


The shadow had been waiting patiently, Gosunkugi had searched the old lecher's room and had not found anything other than a few cheap amazon charms and panties. No, the scrolls were not inside anything that could be considered treasure, despite what the old man had indicated. The scene before him was laughable, all these tough warriors playing nursemaid to an old man and a young con.

  


It wondered how the shard it placed inside the body of the dead Mousse was doing. If what it had heard was correct then it was with Ranma. The shard had served no real purpose other than providing a distraction for a later time, a time which it may not live long enough to be of use.

  


The shadow wavered a bit, upset at the way things were going lately, it seemed that it would not catch a break this evening. It really didn't want to spend the entire night watching these girls change bandages and administer medicines.

  


*----------*

  


Akane was feeling useless.

  


She watched as the two amazons tended to the wounds on her sister and Happosai, who after his screaming was mercifully put back to sleep the same way that Nabiki was. When asked what she could do, the others cringed and politely refused her help. Kasumi wouldn't even let her make tea for their visitors.

  


She had to do something or she would go mad. She hated being powerless. In a way, that was why she had never gotten along with Ranma. He outclassed her in every way. He even looked better than her when he had a reason to dress up.

  


She had to do something, she had to find some way to be useful.

  


But what could she do that the others could not?

  


She'd find those scrolls. They were with Happosai's treasures right? Where would he keep something that was so important that it had to be with him at all times, even when he left?

  


A little while thinking and she couldn't figure out what it was. He didn't really keep many things that he treasured. The few valuable things that he did keep were not really treasured by him. It hit her, she knew where the scrolls were.

  


"I GOT IT!" she yelled

  


"Akane got what?" Shampoo asked, sounding very annoyed by her yelling

  


"I know where those scrolls are."

  


If anybody had noticed the darkened corner of the room, they just might have been able to make out a form perking up.

  


Akane rushed up to the ruins of Happosai's room. She held her breath as the intense smell of it almost overpowered her. Rushing over to the large black sack he took with him on his panty raids, she began to open it, tossing its contents onto the floor behind her. After digging for quite some time she found what she hoped she'd find.

  


Unrolling it she got a good look at the piece of paper that seemed to scare the amazons. It was a very old scroll, with what appeared to be Chinese print on the front. The paper was dulled to a light brown, and the ink had almost faded in some spots, but the border was still in magnificent shape. The ink was still midnight black and was adorned with curves and knots that seemed to be in a beautiful patter unlike anything she had ever seen before.

  


Rolling it back up, she ran down the stairs and back into the family room with a child-like look of pure glee upon her face. She had expected to see the same reaction in her companions but the look she got was one of pure horror. The elder amazon hobbled over to her, picked the parchment up, and after inspecting it began mumbling in her native tongue, sounding quite similar to Happosai just moments earlier.

  


"What did she say Shampoo?"

  


"Great-grandmother say that she thought that this day would never come. She say that great evil will befall us all." Shampoo said following the voice of her elder.

  


"How bad could it really be Shampoo?"

  


As if on cue, all of the lights on the street went out, followed by a loud explosion and a bright flash coming from the location of the Nekohanten. It looked and sounded like a lightning strike occurring a few blocks down the street.

  


*----------*

  


A brief flash illuminated the inside of the room. The weakened martial artist looked on at what should have been the remains of her attacker. The form of Mousse still stood tall with a large toothy grin as he slowly unwrapped himself from the chains around his body. His robes were charred, but he appeared to have taken no damage from the electrocution.

  


She was pissed. Nothing was working and this monster was still standing, grinning at her while she could only look on. She was out of chances, she was out of strength and if she weren't sure of her true sex she would break down and cry. She had to find something that would take this bastard down.

  


Panic stuck her as her opponent started to advance upon her. Her frustration and depression were giving way to anger. Pure fury came to her face and she lost control of her body. Her hands were given a life of their own, her feet moved without a thought and all she could recall was shouting.

  


If anyone was there to witness it they would have seen the inhuman rage in her eyes. She walked straight up to her target with an almost machine-like precision and focus, grabbed his arms and pulled. With a wet sucking sound, the given limbs came loose, much easier than she cared to realize.

She proceeded to attack again, this time grabbing his neck with her left hand and digging the other into his ribs she reached though his flesh and grabbed his sternum. With a sharp motion and another grotesque sound, she pulled it out splitting his ribs wide open exposing an empty cavity. An intense odor of rotting flesh filled the room distracting her so much from her rage that rational thoughts entered her mind again.

  


For the third time that day, reality snapped her out of her thoughts. Where was the blood? Where were his organs? Why was he still smiling, much less standing?

  


Her opponent gave one last laugh before fading away into the shadows. His charred, tattered robes fell to the ground in a crumpled heap before her releasing another overpowering smell. Chains and other assortments of weapons lay in the middle of the ruin that was once the body of Mousse.

  


She had to get back, that's what Mousse had been trying to prevent wasn't it?

  


Without further thought Ranma ran into the darkened streets towards home. If this was the same creature that attacked Happosai, then they were all safe. Her instincts screamed at that thought, why would he laugh if he was defeated? She picked up the pace and raced towards his fiance.

  


*----------*

  


The lights had just gone out enveloping the entire street in darkness. The shadow couldn't help but squirm with excitement. It no longer had to conceal itself, it could finally complete it's mission.

  


A cry of surprise was heard by all of the women in the room, that brought a smile to the creature's assumed face.

  


A creature of shadow needs no light to navigate in the darkness, it is one with it. With a smooth fluid motion it slithered through the room towards the old woman. It's approach was so silent that it didn't believe that anyone could be aware of it's presence. An attempt to quickly snatch it away was defeated by a surprisingly firm grip.

  


The old woman not only knew he was here, but she was starting to emit a soft glow. Her aura grew brighter until the creature's presence was revealed to everyone else in the room. Too stunned by it's quick discovery it didn't know what to do, it could not think of anything more complicated than a short game of tug-of-war.

  


Cologne lashed out first. With a quick strike she thrust her staff forward, piercing the demon's shoulder with enough force to knock it back a few centimeters. It didn't move far though, both of their hands were still firmly gripped on a piece of parchment.

  


Akane was too stunned to know how to react to this current situation, she just stared at the two figures now fighting over the scrolls she just retrieved. Shampoo was a trained amazon warrior and knew exactly what to do, react quickly. She immediately produced two bonbori seemingly from nowhere and charged at this person who was assaulting her elder.

  


The shadow sensed Shampoo's movement and reacted faster than she could, pulling Cologne closer to it causing Shampoo to club her elder and not the attacker. Stunned by this unexpected turn of events, the great amazon's grip finally loosened, giving the shadow all it needed to successfully snatch it's prize.

  


Once secured the shadow returned it's attack faster than any of the humans in the room could defend themselves. In a quick and precise motion it pulled the staff from it's shoulder and impaled Cologne on it's length. Approving of this turn of events, the shadow vanished in the darkness, leaving no trace of it's existence.

  


Akane stood there staring into space as if in shock, while Shampoo cradled her great-grandmother in her arms lifting her up onto one of the nearby tables. Kasumi came into the room with an oil lamp as calmly as if nothing happened. In all fairness though, the moment the power went out she immediately went to retrieve a lamp and had not witnessed any of the events of the past few minutes.

  


Cologne coughed up blood and wheezed with an even worse sound than the one Happosai made. She whispered to her granddaughter and heir her last instructions, her last bit of wisdom while her strength held out. She told Shampoo what she must do, not for honor, not for glory, not for love, but for the sake of all the people's of the world. Ranma Saotome must return to their village, only the other elders could help or protect him then.

  


She had hoped she would get to see the boy before she died, and was a little disappointed that he was not there. She could feel her body getting heavier, getting weaker, but at the same time she felt as if an enormous burden was lifted from her. She felt her mind slowly slip away, towards the land of the dead. There she felt a form of pure bliss while a familiar presence greeting her.

  


"Mousse? What are you doing here?"


	9. Goodnight and Goodmorning

When Ranma had finally arrived at her destination she was not fully prepared for what awaited her. She had taken too long, and for that mistake and Cologne was now dead. Without her medical knowledge Happosai soon followed leaving her to deal with a hysterical Shampoo, a stunned Akane, and a comatose Nabiki.

  


After a quick change (literally), he managed to piece together what had transpired while he was gone. Gosunkugi was now possessed by some demon, he killed Happosai and Cologne to get at some scrolls, and had managed to slip away without a trace. He wasn't sure how Mousse had fit into this, though he had probably could have been possessed at an earlier time. Perhaps Gosunkugi had searched the Nekohanten before he arrived there.

  


He hadn't seen any signs of his father or Mr. Tendo, they had probably executed the Saotome Special Technique at the first sign of danger. Not that they would really be of any substantial help anyways. Ranma had managed to calm everyone down, had made sure Akane was safe in bed and had no trouble convincing Shampoo to stay the night for her own safety.

  


So here he was, sitting on the roof, looking at the lights of lanterns through the still darkened streets recalling the day's events. He had killed a man, he killed Mousse. No, that wasn't Mousse. He had killed the thing that killed Mousse. That was the only way to think of it now, that was the only way to push down the remorse and depression.

  


The authorities had come by to take the bodies away. All of them simply reported that there was a break-in and then a robbery. If there could possibly be something as dangerous as this on the loose, sending in others would only end in a slaughter. He believed that they might have suspected more, mostly because he attracted more trouble than they've ever had to deal with before. He had no record though and everyone knew that he wasn't the kind to ever take a life.

  


Shampoo had mentioned her village and a prophesy, that if he didn't go to her village the world would end. Normally he didn't believe such things, but something told him that she wasn't trying to trick him. She had nothing left here, she had nobody, and a true martial artist protects those who have nothing. He would at least escort her home to her village.

  


He let out a frustrated sigh and whispered to the wind.

  


'Damn, and today felt like it was gonna be such a great day.'

  


*----------*

  


In Akane's room Xian Pu had some trouble sleeping, today she had watched her great-grandmother die, she had watched as the perverted man died because she was not skilled enough to save him. All she had left was to honor her elders dying wish and hold it above everything else, even her own honor.

  


Ranma was to be taken to her village to be held in protective custody. If they could hold him for about two weeks, and make sure that he didn't die then the prophesy would be broken. It was taught to all warriors training to become village elders to be memorized. It had to be memorized because of the danger those scrolls possessed to the safety of others.

  


To read directly from the scrolls aloud would release one of the many shadow demons that were banished from the earth by the first gods. These creatures had only two ways of entering the earth, through the scrolls, or through the resurrection of the dead.

  


ow did this creature arrive. Had the small sorcerer found the scrolls and read them? 'No, silly Xian Pu' she thought if he had those scrolls, he wouldn't need to steal them would he? How could he have been possessed by such a demon?

  


Despite the senselessness of the situation, she had to admit that sleep was slowly taking her. 'A better warrior would remain alert in times of danger' she thought, putting her ancestor's voice to those words. She wasn't a great warrior, she was a failure.

  


Xian Pu slowly drifted to sleep to the sound of her own weeping. Her tears falling onto the borrowed sheets of the cot set up next to Akane's bed.

  


*----------*

  


It was hard for Akane to sleep. She had seen so much today, she had never seen violence of such a magnitude before. Sure, there had been some times that she had witnessed some hard combat or some occasional danger, but people died. This wasn't just a face in the crowd or a number, these were people she knew, people she cared about, and she felt nothing.

  


She didn't feel angry or sad or even fazed by it. They had died and she just accepted it. She heard weeping beside her bed and she just accepted it. Had she become so cold that she no longer cared for the lives of others or was she just in shock?

  


Now Shampoo was trying to convince Ranma to go back to China with her. She probably wants to take one last stab at him. Ranma was hers and nobody else's, they had fought too hard against the odds and too hard against each other for anybody else to separate them now. She loved him, as difficult as it still was to say, they did love each other in their own unspoken manner.

  


If he was going back to Jusenkyo, then so would she. If his life was in any danger, prophesy or none, she would go too. Tomorrow when they prepared their packs to leave, she would as well.

  


She frowned as sleep gradually overtook her mind, taking her from turbulent thoughts to even more troublesome dreams.

  


She dreampt again a troubled sleep. On the shores of an enormous lake Ranma was fighting off a huge monster. It seemed to shift and contort as it waded in the waters. Ranma seemed reluctant to harm it, he mostly dodged its attacks.

She wanted to help him, but he forced her away. Not to protect her, he acted like there was no love between them, he treated her as an enemy. She wanted to convince him that she was the one he loved, but he payed her no mind. She wanted to do something.

  


Ranma was losing this battle, he was going to die.

  


*----------*

  


The following morning all of those within the walls of the Tendo home awoke to a much more somber mood than the following morning Though the outside was as fresh and bright as any other day, not even the cheerful sounds of birds singing could break the gloom held over last nights survivors.

  


The house was dead, the silence upon it was the same silence of a corpse. The people within moved around in their morning routine without a word. Even Kasumi seemed a little subdued while she cooked breakfast for her family and their visitor. The older men in the house had still not been found and if anybody had doubted their cowardice, then they might have been worried.

  


The three sisters and their guests sat in silence as they ate. Ranma actually ate at an almost human pace, while Shampoo merely picked at her food. Her eyes were stained red from weeping and they told anyone who looked at them that she didn't sleep well either. Without a word Kasum took their plates when they had finished and Akane went with her to help clean.

  


Ranma, Nabiki, and Shampoo remained at the table. Nabiki stared at Ranma with a look of anger and disappointment on her face.

  


"Why weren't you here Saotome?" she softly muttered, careful not to disturb the bandages on her face.

  


"I was tied up at the moment" Ranma said with shame in his voice, already feeling guilty for not being there.

  


"Listen well Saotome, I don't know what the hell that thing was last yesterday. All I know is that you weren't here to help us, OR protect your fiance." She snapped "Shampoo has some small idea, but she won't say anything more than she needs you to get back to China, for your safety and for ours."

  


"Listen Nabiki..."

  


"No, this thing is after you Saotome, and I'll be damned if I let it return and endanger my family again... I was saving this for your honeymoon, a gift saved from the money I made with your pictures..." She trailed off, presenting three airline tickets to China. "I want you out, I want my family's safety assured, but I don't want you killed either. These were for you to find a cure, but I suppose that there are more important things to think about now."

  


A stunned Ranma look at her with a look that could only be described as astonishment. He never thought that Nabiki would ever do such a thing for him. "Wait Nabiki, why three tickets?"

  


"I figured that you may have an accident and may no longer be able to pass for Akane's husband." she replied with her usual smirk, even if it was a little gentler, from the pain or something else he wasn't quite sure. "You have three days until this plane takes off. You will have Hotel accommodations in Beijing the following two weeks, though I doubt that you will remain there. I expect you to do what you have to and return in one piece."

  


"I don't know what to say Nabiki."

  


"You don't have to say anything, everyone knows that your emotions are your weakness. I've exploited them enough times to be certain of the fact. Just promise me one thing."

  


"Sure"

  


"Come back, come back alive and try not to bring anymore trouble with you. As good as it's been for business, one of these days it's gonna go to far. If Akane gets hurt or killed again, you'll know wrath and pain in a way your martial arts can't protect you from." Again she smiled, and while there was some genuine humor in her voice, the venom was also unmistakable.

  


It was settled then. Ranma was going back to China.

  


*----------*


	10. Fear and loathing in the airport

Again, even though I keep forgetting, I don't own these. Don't assume I do, cause its a big bummer for me everytime I think about it.
  

Thank you for your comments, and I hope that this chapter meets your approval.
  

If you see Mr. Wiener, tell him i miss him.
  

*----------*
  

The day had finally come.
  

Ranma had finished packing everything that he would need for the trip and a few weapons that he knew he would be able to sneak past airport security. He had helped Shampoo pack a few of her remaining possessions and had Nabiki send the rest back to China. One of his tickets had come up missing but that was hardly an issue after Shampoo offered to share her supply of waterproof soap.
  

Ranma had spent the past two days finding out what he could from Shampoo. She wasn't really that much help since she had spent more time chasing after him than studying. From what he could gather, when he defeated Saffron, he unsealed some ancient evil that the people who preceded the amazons had banished away a few millenia ago. That evil needed two things in order to destroy the world, some scrolls that Happosai had and his own demise.
  

She was unable to provide more specific details but it couldn't hurt to humor her at least. He tended not to believe in such things as prophesies or demons, but turning female with a little water tended to open one's mind to possibilities.
  

A quick inventory of his carry-on luggage revealed that aside from the missing ticket, everything else was in order. He probably shouldn't tell Nabiki of that, she'd skin him alive if she found out he lost a ticket worth that much. He didn't need to bring much with him, his ticket, a few magazines, and some money he had from the last time he was in China would suffice. The other bags were mostly clothes and other items he doubted he would use or need.
  

He would have a long flight, and a probably long enough time going through customs, but the alternative of swimming there, female and with a cat on her back was unthinkable. Besides it would probably hurt Nabiki's pride to turn such good tickets down. He could basically sit wherever he wanted to on the plane.
  

*----------*
  

Gosunkugi awoke in his quarters aboard the Chinese fishing vessel he first found himself on yesterday. Apparently he had managed to bribe the captain to smuggle him back to China while he was in port. He of course didn't remember any of this and the demon that had plagued him refused to offer any explanation. He just had to hope that whatever he did, whatever that creature did, nobody was hurt. Even though he was ridiculed and picked on, he never really wished serious harm upon other people.
  

He suspected that the demon had control of him the past two nights. When night fell, he just completely blacked out and was unable to recall what had happened to him. He was almost lucky, this creature was a shadow and could only thrive at night. During the day in bright light he was safe from it, but how safe can you be when something like this is as close as your own shadow?
  

He had a theory as to how he got it. It couldn't have been magic, as much as he hoped he was skilled enough to summon anything, he had to have gotten it from somebody else. The shadow-creature-thing wouldn't tell him anything about itself which made him think that it didn't want him to know or didn't expect him to.
  

But how can you catch a demonic possession, it's not exactly the common cold. Its not like he had any magical artifact that could attract demons or steal souls or anything. Most of his magic relied on ingredients and ceremony more than artifacts..
  

'At least the creature had brought a few things for him to do while they were out' He thought to himself as he polished his camera and prepared to take another picture of the open sea before him.
  

*----------*
  

Saffron was getting worried about Kiima's behavior. Her fainting spells were coming more often. At first he had chalked it all up to shock from the recent revelations, but it was happening more often. In the past two days she had fainted a number of times, so often in fact that he had guards placed at her side in case of an emergency.
  

He too was starting to feel weaker. Yesterday he had felt a momentary drop in his power as he was flying. This coincided with feelings of nausea and fatigue. He wouldn't have much longer than a few weeks or a month at the most. Out on the fringe of his senses he could detect the shadows return.
  

In a few weeks all of this land before him would become a battlefield once more. All he had left was the hope that he would be strong enough to be of some help again.
  

*----------*
  

Ranma and Shampoo had walked out the door moments ago leaving Akane to sulk. She peered out the window overlooking the front entrance looking at the path they took as they left. She didn't want him to leave, but he said it was for the best. A few weeks ago she might have suspected that they were running off together but not anymore, she believed him now.
  

She wondered if she would ever see him again, if Shampoo would brainwash him into forgetting her even if he survived whatever danger he was in. She trusted him now, but that didn't mean she trusted her. A single tear worked its way past her cheek as she thought of him leaving her life as abruptly as he entered. He walked out the door with nothing more than a short goodbye and the words "I'll see you again soon."
  

He just left. Without a hug, or a kiss, or even a smart remark, he just left. She may never see him again and tell him that she loved him. She would tell him, she would tell him now before he got on the plane, all she had to do was get to the airport before he left.
  

She just had to be there, she had to at least see him off, to give him a reason to return to her. Making her way back downstairs she made sure not to alert her sisters as to what was happening, Nabiki had told her that there was a good chance that being anywhere near Ranma was much more dangerous than it used to be. Creeping the door open slowly so as not to make a sound, she made her way outside.
  

"Akane?" Kasumi's voice piped in from behind.
  

"Yes Kasumi?" she responded with the voice of a child with their hand caught in a cookie jar.
  

"Are you going to see Ranma-kun off?"
  

"Yes I was hoping I would get to"
  

"Well then, would you please bring these to him? I believe that he left them behind in his haste."
  

Kasumi handed her a duffel bag full of women's clothes (the pervert) and the missing ticket. She winked once, turned around and headed back towards the Kitchen. It took her a moment to realize what Kasumi really did for her and to silently thank her. The next moment was not spared as she raced on foot in the direction her fiance had taken just moments ago.
  

*----------*
  

Ranma had now found something that he hated almost as much as cats, airline security. The long delay just to pass a couple of feet was made even longer after trying to explain why they would need to travel to a communist country like China. Both Ranma and Shampoo had silently agreed that any mention of magic might just make it a little more difficult. They decided that he was escorting his friend Shampoo who had visited for a year back to her home village.
  

Customs was another pain that they had to go through. Their carry-on baggage was checked several times by quite a few people to make sure that they weren't smuggling anything into another country. After assuring them that the items were of no harm to anyone, they walked down the terminal in the direction of their gate. They still had another hour to wait until their plane arrived.
  

"Damn now I know why Pops and I always traveled on foot" he muttered with annoyance.
  

"Why is that Ranma? Training? Panda too cheap?" Shampoo said with genuine interest. If he could no longer be her airen and she was honor bound to protect him now, the least she could do was get to know him better.
  

"No. I doubt either. He was wily enough to probably cheat all these people into getting him where he wanted to go for free." he said almost chuckling to himself "Speaking of which I wonder where he went to. I haven't seen him since two days ago."
  

"Panda man probably on floor of bar. Pay tab by playing as rug maybe." She said with a small smile attempting to say the joke with the best Japanese as she could.
  

Ranma understood what she was trying to say and laughed in earnest. "I think that he could be doing that."
  

"So why Ranma always walk"
  

"Well, I think it was probably that even though you were moving slower, you were at least doing something the whole time"
  

"Shampoo see chairs near door, we sit?" Pointing out the rows of benches near their terminal.
  

They took two seats that were at some distance from the other travelers so that they could talk with some degree of privacy. This was of course not really much of a problem as once they were seated they had very little to say. Ranma mentally went over some katas thinking about how each move should be performed without moving his body at all. Shampoo sat there like a person who was dieing on the inside and was looking for a reason to live. Fifteen minutes had passed when something was finally said to break the silence between the two travelers.
  

"Hey Shampoo? How come you haven't tried to grab me or glomp me in a while?" he asked, knowing that he probably shouldn't.
  

"Great-grandmothers request. Shampoo have to give you up, more important that Shampoo protect you from prophesy than personal reasons." at the thought of her dead relative, Shampoo's eyes began to water.
  

Shit, now he's gotten himself in a bind. Just as Nabiki had told him, emotions were his weakness. Thats why he had unintentionally seemed to lead all of them along. He wasn't trying to toy with them, he just didn't know how to break it to them.
  

Now he did it again. She was crying and he didn't know what to do. Damn that Panda, he knew that this was his fault for withdrawing him from society.
  

"Aw jeez Shampoo, its ok" Ranma tried saying. "She died a honorable death in battle" Those words weren't working. He reluctantly tried to hug her and she dove into his embrace sobbing and weeping. Her tears ran through his shirt and wet his chest making him wish he could do something to ease her pain.
  

They remained like this for a some time while Shampoo let out days worth of grief that had been pent up inside her.
  

*----------*
  

Akane wished she was in better shape. She had lost some of her edge when Ranma came and she didn't need to defend herself as often. Now she was wishing that she had trained more when she had the chance, she was completely out of breath and covered with a thick layer of sweat.
  

She then found something that she hated even more than immature boys, airline security. The long delay just to pass a couple of feet was made even longer after trying to explain why she would need to travel to a communist country like China. She had silently agreed that any mention of sneaking onto a flight to surprise her fiance might just make it a little more difficult. She eventually decided that she was meeting her friend Shampoo, who had visited for a year, at the gate and wished to help her back to her home village.
  

Customs was another pain that she had to go through. Her carry-on baggage , make that only baggage, was checked several times by quite a few people. After assuring them that the items were nothing more than a few days change of clothes, she was pointed in the direction of her gate. Looking at her watch, she realized that she still had another half-hour to wait until her plane arrived.
  

Walking further down, she spotted the waiting area. The closer she got, the more she began to recognize Shampoo's perfume. She decided to take a seat at some distance from the other travelers so that she could look through their faces and try to find Ranma.
  

After accidentally bumping into a couple embracing in two of the seats, she said her apologies and made her way towards the seat she had mentally chosen. It was just then that her senses fully registered what had just happened.
  

"I knew it! You really were gonna sneak off with Shampoo!" She yelled, though not loud enough to make a scene, yet.
  

"Akane, whatta you doin here?" Her pigtailed fiance said with a panicked sound in his voice.
  

"I came here to help you, to at least give you a proper send-off." Akane's body began to glow with her anger.
  

"Akane, it isn't what it looks like" he said, praying that she would be merciful for whatever transgression she thought he had done.
  

"Oh really, and just what is it?" she yelled louder this time "You cook up some story about a prophesy after three people died so you two could elope" That's just sick
  

The amazon decided that if she was to protect Ranma's life, she might as well do it now "Shampoo was only crying Akane, Great-grandmother dead. Was all Shampoo had growing up, Mother died at birth, and Shampoo lost everything, even Ranma. All honor that left now is to honor dieing wish of elder"
  

Seeing the tears and redness in her eyes, Akane softened. Why did she still act this way, he had never given her any indication that he would stray, despite the fact that he had many opportunities to do so. Perhaps she should take up some self-improvement classes when she gets back.
  

"I'm going with you" She said remembering her intentions before she exploded. "You're my fiance Ranma, and if you're in danger, then my place is with you. I'm a martial artist too after all" she continued with a smile "and if you so much as try to say no, then I'll just mallet you all the way back to China."
  

Ranma hesitantly agreed while Akane took her seat on his other side. Together the three of them waited for their plane to arrive.
  

*----------*


	11. Support and Surprise

#includedisclamer.std //if you understand this you are officially a nerd
  

Hey, I'm back, my insomnia has returned and this means i can start updating. This one is fairly short compared to some of the last one, but much longer than my first few, so it should hopefully not be too bad for you to swallow.
  

*---------*
  

Half an hour after her explosive anger attracted the unwanted attention of everyone else in the terminal Akane fidgeted nervously, awaiting the arrival of their plane. She hated the thought of all of those strange people staring at her. She did come to the conclusion however that if she were to see someone act so childish in a public place like that she would probably stare too. She would frequently glance at the clock and try mentally to force it's hands to move, anything so that she could just board the plane and get out of here.
  

She fidgeted some more, accidentally bumping into Ranma's body. She had to find something to do other than just sit here and remain the focus of attention to all of these other people. She couldn't go get a newspaper or a magazine because then she would probably have to go through security all over again. Besides, she didn't have any money with her and she doubted that Ranma was carrying anything but the bare necesities.
  

A pleasant female voice announced over the intercom that the plane was just arriving and after unloading it's current passengers would begin a brief moment of cleaning and restocking before passengers would be allowed on board. Akane mused on the thought of what this woman would look like and saw an image much similar to one of Kasumi. Despite the lovely sound of her voice and the polite way she said it, Akane was still irritated by how many delays she was encountering.
  

Great, another thing that she hadn't thought of for her to wait on. She decided that all she could do was perhaps play a game with herself to pass the time. She looked at the other passengers and imagined what they were going to China for. A mother and her children, perhaps they were visiting family or were on vacation. Several men in suits, either businessmen or perhaps a meeting between the yakuza and some of the Chinese triads. It was difficult for her not to romanticize about all of the exciting possibilities, having so many adventures in the past made her think about things of the sort.
  

She looked out the window and saw her plane pulling up towards her gate. A small feeling of excitement passed over her. Sure, in her adventures with Ranma she had gone much farther than this before, but never in first class! She could hardly contain her excitement. Much more fidgeting ensued.
  

*----------*
  

Hikaru Gosunkugi realized that he was weaker than most people, he realized that he was often laughed at or picked on. These were things that had been with him for years and he now accepted them as fact. He even understood why people would think those sort of things about him, he was small, he was weak, and he had very few friends. What he couldn't understand was why the fishermen aboard this ship avoided him.
  

They acted like he was the devil in the flesh. They avoided speaking directly to him and in fact would bully the captain who let him on in a drunken stupor to tell him any small thing. He wasn't that much of a threatening person, at least he didn't think so. He was developing suspicions however that his new 'friend' was the source of their behavior.
  

How could this have happened to him. He never really summoned evil spirits... ok well maybe just a few times, but it never worked before. He shook his head as if her were trying to wake himself from a dream and silently shed a tear. Whatever waited for him in China was something that he knew he would never return from.
  

Again he was alone, shunned. If it weren't for the fact that he knew that this was the shadow's doing, he would certainly feel smug about himself.
  

*----------*
  

As the plane finally started to board, Ranma looked back at the airport terminal. This was most likely the last time he would be on Japanese soil for a while. He would never admit to it, but he was almost a little scared of this whole thing. China, why does it always have to be China?
  

He let out a sigh as he walked the corridor down towards the plane. Shampoo was in front of him a definite sag in her walk, while Akane was walking at his side. He was behind a few business travelers, some speaking Japanese, some speaking Chinese, probably attempting to negotiate another deal to use cheaper Chinese labor in a government owned factory.
  

The musty smell of a too-often cleaned cabin with it's recycled air rushed at him like a gentle breeze. The air was slightly warmer than it was outside with the lingering odors of refreshments served and those awaiting to be. Attendants in gray uniforms greeted the passengers as they entered with hearty smiles, alternating their speech in mandarin and Japanese. At least they sounded a little better than Shampoo.
  

Shampoo.
  

He felt so sorry for her. He wished he knew how to help her but was unable to do so. She seemed so lost and alone, almost withdrawn. She had lost everybody in her life, her grandmother, Mousse, him. No, she hadn't lost him, she may have lost her 'airen' but he could still be her friend and ally.
  

After all, they were going to be fighting side by side once more. Against what he didn't know, but there were two things he was sure of Saotome Ranma never backs down from a fight and he never loses. Not from anyone or anything.
  

He took hold of Akane's hand and held on tightly, both assuring her and himself that they would make it through this. He then placed a hand on Shampoo's shoulder to at least let her know that he would stand by her as well.
  

*----------*
  

Nabiki was just a little worried. Correct that, Nabiki was extremely worried. She couldn't find Akane anywhere. She had checked most of the house, the dojo, and even asked some of her friends, but couldn't find a trace of her.
  

She had just begun searching the house again. She was pretty sure she wouldn't find anything and she realized that she probably looked ridiculous doing this, but something, some strong powerful instinct in her screamed that something was wrong. She didn't know how but she knew that her sister was in danger. Panic struck her as hard as a hammer striking someone's soft skull and she looked more and more stressed as her search continued.
  

Rushing around the upstairs of the house, she began opening all of the bedroom doors and looking inside. She had systematically checked all of them, all of them except one. She really didn't have a reason to check there. It wasn't that she didn't mistrusted them or anything.
  

Nabiki slowly creeped open the door to Kasumi's room. She had almost expected to find something in there. Nothing was out of the ordinary except for the fact that it was immaculately cleaned. 'Kasumi really did have such old fashioned tastes Nabki thought noting her decor 'but it does seem to suit her.
  

Nabiki hadn't been here since she was a much younger child. Despite her hobbies of photography and planting bugs, she did respect her sister's privacy. She had an honor code of her own at least. The two most important things were her family and profit, deciding between the two was sometimes difficult, but she felt that she had made most of the right decisions so far.
  

Unable to contain her curiosity, she opened a few drawers and peered at their contents.
Nothing unusual.
She decided to look in her jewelry box.
Again, nothing unusual.
Why not check the closet. To at least see if she only had the one dress or a dozen duplicates.
She opened the closet door slowly and found something most unusual. In fact, if it had happened a few days earlier, it would be even more so.
Bodies.
More specifically the bodies of her father and one Genma Saotome, hacked up almost beyond recognition and lying in a heap in the middle of her elder sister's closet.
  

"Oh my Nabiki, what have you found there?" a voice came up from just behind her.
  

It was Kasumi.
  

At least it looked like Kasumi, only with a slightly larger grin on her face and holding a dirty hunting knife in her left hand.


	12. Thy enemy revealed

No, i know, their not mine. Yes, i'm sorry for what i did. Please, just one more time.
  

Wow, no comments lately, I feel so alone. Thats ok I guess, but if you feel like it let me know what you like/dislike. Be completely honest, no really, I can take it.
  

*----------*
  

Run.
  

She had to run, run far, far away.
  

It was her eyes, those weren't Kasumi's eyes. They were the same eyes she saw on her screen a few nights ago. Not the same in appearance, but by nature. Eyes devoid of life and compassion, behind the mask of an innocent young woman. Nabiki Stared into them as an animal caught in the headlights of something it couldn't outrun.
  

She just stood there, as if nothing was wrong. As if she was crazy. Why would there be a knife in her hand? Why would there be bodies in the closet? There were so many questions. Even if she was afraid of the possible answers, she knew that she would inevitably have to ask them.
  

"Who are you?" Nabiki screamed, tears were beginning to show on her face.
  

"Nabiki it's me, Kasumi." Kasumi offered her free hand out, only for Nabiki to back further away.
  

"No you're not!" a shrill scream came from the younger sister's lips. "What about them? What did you do to them?" Her trembling finger pointed towards the slaughtered fathers in the closet.
  

"The master said that they would interfere, so I had to stop them from doing that." Kasumi replied with her usual friendly tone. "If you promise not to, I'm allowed to let you go." She continued.
  

"What about Akane? What have you done with our sister?" She screeched, her mind lost to fear and worry, for herself and both of her sisters.
  

Kasumi made no reply but to advance, stepping mere centimeters from Nabiki. She embraced her in a cold, sick parody of a hug, pressing the knife into Nabiki's back just enough for her to feel it without tearing her clothes or skin. Gently Kasumi whispered into her sister's ear "I sent her where she needs to be" before finally plunging her knife into her back, just below the ribcage.
  

Nabiki felt the steel enter her body causing her to involuntarily shudder. Collapsing to the floor, Nabiki could feel her lifeblood slowly seeping out from past the sides of the blade, leaving a warm trail down her back as gravity pulled it to the floor. Panic struck her again as she finally realized what had happened. She reached outwards but there was nothing to grab hold of.
  

Her vision was blurring, her skin growing numb, and the voices of her fears shouted louder and louder at her. If she was to survive she had to get out. If she wanted to live, she had to ... she had to... she was too tired. Her body was growing heavy.
  

She vaguely recalled seeing her older sister walk out the door talking to herself.
  

"Oh my, now it seems that I'll have to wash up again."
  

*----------*
  

A few miles distant on an airport runway, three travelers finally began their next steps on their journey. After taking their appropriate seats, Ranma, Shampoo, and Akane, strapped themselves down as they were instructed by their flight attendants. While the voices overhead on the intercom droned on, they quickly found that their fascination for safety was not as great as the mystery that was part of the reason behind their leaving.
  

Akane had managed to get the window seat. Shampoo and Ranma had not seemed interested in it. Probably because they knew that they were going to be flying over water. There were many things that she wasn't aware of, she would admit that, but it was of course easy to assess that they had developed small water-phobias.
  

It was very fascinating to look out and see all of the other planes, filled with so many people. She envied them, going where they pleased, not a care in the world. Life hadn't been that simple for her in such a long time. A more peaceful life would be nice, but then she wouldn't have as many stories to tell to her friends at school.
  

At the end of the tarmac, there was a thin line of trees. Just past them, she could barely make out the parking lot. Along the asphalt, she saw the many people who worked on the ground stocking, repairing, and directing planes. If she wasn't so sure, she could have sworn that she just saw Ryouga walking past the plane as they finally began to taxi.
  

*----------*
  

Akari was such a sweet girl. Ryouga wasn't sure why he was attracted to her. Now that he was able to finally see it, she was the antithesis of Akane. She was cool and calm and affectionate. Perhaps it was the pig thing. Perhaps it was the simple life with her on her farm. It was hard to pinpoint exactly why he loved her.
  

In fact, it was much like his sense of direction, as cliched as that is. He never could pinpoint anything unless he was trying to hit it. Ranma could testify for that.
  

A smile creeped upon his face at that thought. Despite the way things appeared and the ways he behaved, he considered Ranma a good friend, an ally, and a comrade in arms. They had faced many things together and if it wasn't for their rivalry, neither of them would be as strong as they are today.
  

Indirectly, he realized, if he didn't hate Ranma in the past as much as he did, he would never have met Akari, Akane would be dead, and perhaps he would have spent many more nights alone and depressed. At least more depressed.
  

"I guess everything really does happen for a reason"
  

Lost in thought, he no longer cared where he wandered to. He was bound to end up where he needed to be eventually. He ignored the sights and sounds around him except for his own thoughts and the ground beneath his feet. Grass gave way to asphalt, which gave way to gravel, then to wood paneling, then a bloody body.
  

Is that Nabiki?
  

*----------*
  

They had only been flying for a few minutes before boredom began to take its toll on them. Akane was itching to be the person to end this. Perhaps she would ask Shampoo what she knew about what was going on, she deserved to know, she was after all, the one who found the scrolls that were a crucial part of the whole puzzle.
  

"Shampoo, could you explain those scrolls and this prophesy." She asked
  

"Is prophesy written by great demon lord before was banished by my ancestors." Shampoo started. "Is written about return of demon to kill all peoples of world." she opened her arms as if to explain the sheer magnitude of what that meant. "When one defeats greatest power of god who cannot die, first seal is broken. Demon lord, name of Ah-rin, must kill one who defeats phoenix power. Sends shadows from land of dead to unseal spirit with spell on scrolls then kill one who defeat phoenix" The amazon was having a hard time translating all of this due to her emotional distress, but felt that she had to inform her fellow travelers just what they were getting into.
  

"Shampoo, how will this Ah-rin destroy the world?" Akane asked with genuine curiosity.
  

"Not know, just very bad, kill everything it sees, everyone it wants" The bigger girl trembled at the thought. As a person in training to take the spot of elder, she was required to memorize these sort of things. Even she had to admit now that she had spent too much time chasing after Ranma.
  

"Yeah, but what's this thing want with me?" Ranma finally joined in.
  

"You defeated Saffron Baka! You saw him come back afterwards" Akane practically tore her hair out. That idiot could be so dense sometimes.
  

"Yes, peoples around Jusenkyo sometimes call Saffron 'God who cannot die'. He never defeated before, never killed." The purple haired amazon added to Akane's thoughts
  

"So how strong could this demon be anyways? Can't be too tough if the amazons managed to take it down eventually." Damn, that didn't come out right. Shampoo was doing a near perfect impersonation of Akane.
  

"Battle with Ah-rin created all blank Jusenkyo pools." She simply stated, leaving her companions with gaping mouths. Absorbing that kind of information, reassessing the threat that they now have gotten themselves into.
  

*----------*


	13. Precious cargo

All hail mighty Ah-rin and his shadows, the only characters I own. The rest of the Ranma cast are merely puppets to my whim Mwahahaha.
  

Sorry, I couldn't help it.
  

Yay, I got more reviews.
  

To answer a few of them. Yes I am probably very sick, but then again I'm trying to avoid as many cliche's as possible (with the exception of Ryouga).
  

Yeah I know that my chapters are fairly short, but It's the best I can do and besides, I update very frequently and I end each one with a cliffhanger. Mwahahaha
  

Sorry, thought I had gotten all of that out of my system.
  

*----------*
  

  

Nabiki.
  

It was Nabiki.
  

She was laying on her side, the handle to an all too familiar blade was poking out her back just below her ribs. A growing pool of crimson slowly expanded from the middle of her back creeping along the fabric of her shirt and the wood paneling on the floor.
  

Though not as adept at reading the ki of others like Cologne, Happosai, Tofu, or possibly even Ranma. Ryouga, like many of the other martial artists of his caliber was capable of sensing the intensity of it. Hers was weak and getting weaker by the moment.
  

"Nabiki. Nabiki. Nabiki are you awake?"
  

The only response that was a weak mumbling.
  

"Nabiki, I'm going to get help. I'm going to get Kasumi."
  

"No!" a hoarse rasp, accompanied by a thin spray of blood escaped her lips. She began a series of weak coughs whereby more blood trickled out the corner of her mouth. A crimson puddle outlined her figure, clinging to her clothes and sticking her to the floor.
  

Damn! It was in her lungs. If he didn't get her to a doctor soon, she'd drown before she even bled to death.
  

"Look!" she wheezed again.
  

Looking around, he noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The room was unnaturally clean, possibly indicating that if this was the Tendo home this was Kasumi's room. The multitudes of brown dresses in the closet seemed to confirm that suspicion. No, nothing out of the ordinary, aside from a bloody Nabiki and two hacked up bodies in the closet.
  

Waitaminute.
  

Two hacked up bodies in the closet?
  

Slowly the lost boy bent down, kneeling above her figure. Placing his umbrella to the side he eyed her figure, trying to think of something he could do. What could he do? She was so frail, so fragile. Compared to him, practically everyone was.
  

He had to get her out of here without killing her. Whatever transpired since his last visit was something he didn't care to investigate.
  

"Nabiki, if you can respond please tell me. Who did this to you?"
  

"Kasumi" she croaked, or at least tried to but it only came out as a series of gurgles.
  

She tried to say more. She needed to say more, but it was getting harder and harder for her to speak. Her vision was still blurry, her senses still dulled. Gradually it all faded to a deep welcoming blackness.
  

The bandanna clad boy gently scooped her up into his arms, cradled her like a baby, and ran like hell.
  

*----------*
  

All her life, she had been a slave. A servant bound to do whatever her family needed, even at the expense of her happiness and her freedom. This was something she never realized until she met her new master of course. He taught her to free herself, showed her the way. Told her how much nobody really loved her and how she was better off without them.
  

She met him just after her sister Akane almost died. His first appearance was after their return from China. Every night before the failed wedding they would talk. Alone in the darkest hours of the night they could share each others company, discuss their bondage, and dream of their freedom. Alone, they could not achieve what they wanted, together they just might have a chance.
  

He was nameless, the only name he ever gave was that of his master Ah-rin. He was quite the polite one too, his attitude and nature was one that reminded her of herself. There were many things that he said he wanted to give her, he had offered her power, he had offered her freedom. All she had to do was make sure Akane stayed with Ranma, that if they left to find him, that they both went together. It was a strange request, but then he was her friend and she would gladly help him.
  

Shortly after the wedding he disappeared. It was quite sudden, he just vanished without a trace. After that she could only mourn late at night, mourn for her freedom, mourn for her friend, mourn for her missed out life. The only person who had ever understood her and had tried to help her was gone.
  

She went on as best as she could without him, she filled in her part of the bargain. Ranma and Akane were together now and would be going to China together and find him. The only thing left to do was to free herself. The follower of Ah-rin had showed her the way, he had told her what to do. She had to kill those that enslaved her.
  

Her father was dead now, Akane was off-limits, promised to Ah-rin, all that was left now was Nabiki.
  

One down, one to go.
  

All she had to do now was finish the laundry and then take a bath. Nabiki had gotten her so messy. There was blood all over her dress, this just wouldn't do.
  

*----------*
  

Running along the streets of Nerima with a bloody body was not a good way to make friends. Crashing randomly through walls and whatnots while screaming for help was definately not helping either. People were panicking in the streets watching what appeared to be a superhuman psychopath holding the bloody body of one Tendo Nabiki while he left an irregular trail of destruction.
  

Tofu was not at his clinic, if that was his clinic, but then why would he bother to leave a note saying he would return on the front door. Ryouga had no idea who to turn to, what to do. All he knew was that she was going to die and he was acting like a scared little girl.
  

"Halt!" A familiar arrogant voice called out to him. "Whoso ever charges through my fair city residence causing such unwanted destruction must answer to the righteous call of justice."
  

Oh hell no. Not him. Not now.
  

"It is I Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinken, and you my dear sir are causing quite a havoc." Strange, that face was familiar to him. It was the face of one of the many people he often saw while in the presence of his beauteous goddesses and that cursed Saotome.
  

"Listen Kuno, I don't have time for this." The panicked lost boy replied.
  

"Put down the fair Nabiki Tendo and let us settle this disturbance like gentlemen."
  

Ryouga wasn't going to win this with a fight. He could easily defeat Kuno but then the delay might just mean the difference between life and death for Nabiki, then again, even if he could defeat Kuno in time how would he be able to find a hospital for her? For the first time since his recent revelations, he realized that perhaps there are more ways to win than fighting.
  

"Wait. Kuno. Perhaps you can help me. Nabiki is injured and I cannot find a hospital. She may die if she does not get help soon."
  

"Hmmmm. I see now why you might be distressed then. Come. Follow me to my home. I shall arrange for her treatment. The house of Kuno though rich in wealth is not without it's generosity."
  

Kuno was going to help him, Kuno was actually going to help him. All he had to to was ask, and this pompous ass took the rest from here. Sometimes it was easier to handle things with talking than fighting. If Ranma was here he'd never hear the end of this, but with somebody's life in the balance his pride could wait.
  

*----------*
  

Kasumi had just left the furo, with nobody else around, she saw no need to bring a change of clothes with her and instead walked around the house in nothing more than a large towel. Her hair was still damp and beads of moisture clung to her figure with an almost immodest tenacity. Before today, she would never have thought of walking around like this, she would be scolded by her father or gawked at by one of the Saotomes, but the house was hers now.
  

She was free.
  

It felt so good to think that. There was even a noticeable bounce in her step. Nothing, nobody would stop her now. She could live the life that she had always dreamed of living. Do the things she always wanted to do but was afraid. She would never have to play mother for anyone else ever again.
  

Bounding lightly down the hallway back towards her room, she felt the need to hum an happy tune to herself. She would ask Nabiki what she would like for dinner first, that is if her sister still had enough blood in her body to eat, or talk for that matter.
  

As she arrived at the entrance to her room, she felt a cool breeze rush past her. Perhaps the fan was on, but she didn't remember doing that. It didn't really matter though, the air was cool and refreshing against her skin. It had been so long since she had ever been able to feel the air against her bare flesh like that. It was almost _exciting_.
  

Turning from the hallway and entering her room she noticed why she felt that breeze. A large human-shaped hole went straight through the wall. Debris and a crater now marred the immaculate landscaping of the backyard that she spent so long doing. There were only a few people who were capable of doing this, but most of them wouldn't have left such a bizarre pattern of rubble in their wake. Besides the red umbrella on the floor was a dead giveaway.
  

Ryouga.
  

She gritted her teeth and snarled. If Nabiki lived then she would tell others what had happened and she would once more be held in bondage. This would not be tolerable, she had to get rid of them both.
  

There was no way that she could fight Ryouga, she hadn't done any martial arts training since her mother died. She could try to track him, but that would take to long to follow him. One thing that she did have that could work for her was her reputation. She could work this out to her favor.
  

His umbrella at the scene of the crime, bodies in the closet, and a path of destruction that almost nobody else would be capable of making. Not to mention the fact that his knife was the murder weapon and he was seen in the area during the times she killed the old men, tried to kill Happosai, and now Nabiki.
  

All she had to do was call the police. Everyone would believe whatever the good Kasumi Tendo had to say.
  

A smile crossed her face and she began to get dressed, she had a lot of phone calls to make today.


	14. Help and Harm

Wow, just jinxed myself when I said something about how fast I could update. Sorry about the delay, my computer is on the verge of death. One by one components are either frying, shorting, or just plain not working. Future updates might be affected like this from now until I can obtain a new computer. Hmmm... looking at that new Apple G5, it's tempting, but way above my income.
  

Anyways, I still don't own most of these characters, and if you can't guess which ones they are then you might want to read the manga or watch the show. This does take place afterwards.
  

*----------*
  

Ranma, being a usually much more physically active person, was starting to get rather annoyed at the situation. Here he was practically stuck in this seat for the remainder of his flight. There was nowhere to walk to, nowhere to practice, nowhere to even have a moment of privacy. He was having a hard time dealing with being still for so long.
  

An hour or two was quite enough time for him. He wanted, no he needed to get out or else he would lose his mind. How much time should people really sit down. They were sitting at the airport, they were sitting now, they would probably have to sit in a limo when they got to their destination.
  

Akane was handling this easily enough. At first she seemed as agitated by the whole situation as he was now, but after finding something to listen to on the radio, she calmed right down. Shampoo had fallen asleep, as upset as she was, she really needed the rest. The on flight movie had nothing to do with anything of interest, it was another damn romance film.
  

The air! How long could people stand to be breathing this recycled air
  

Even if this was faster and easier than swimming, it was at least as bad as a pit full of cats. Worse yet, he never had to spend nearly as long with the cats. Grumbling and slouching back down into his seat, he mused on that idea. At least he wouldn't end up stretching his arms and trying to fly afterwards!
  

This was going to be a long flight.
  

*----------*
  

Ryouga carefully followed Kuno towards his house. Once more holding Nabiki in his arms he trudged along behind the kendoist. Matching pace exactly and making sure to never take his eyes of his benefactor, he concentrated as hard as he could on not getting lost.
  

Despite the inconveniences that were often the results of his directional sense, Ryouga did find one thing good. It didn't matter where he was trying to go, he always ended up where he was needed. Perhaps there was some good to getting lost sometimes, though perhaps being around Akari as much as he has been lately he had picked up a new introspective insight.
  

Now Nabiki needed his help. She wasn't the woman he loved. They didn't really get along all that well, but she was hurt. Despite what anybody else thought in the past, he did have honor. He had to help her.
  

Was that why he was doing it? Was it for honor only? One of the things he often heard Genma and Ranma say was 'a true martial artist helps the weak'. You can't get much weaker than this. She was as helpless as a baby, and she was still bleeding.
  

"Hello? Kuno? Do you think that we could hurry a little? She's still bleeding." he asked, real desperation showing in his voice.
  

"Of course my brutish friend. My home is but up this hill before us." The taller figure pointed with his bokken towards a small knoll up ahead.
  

Quickening their pace, the two martial artists continued towards the Kuno mansion. Nabiki's head bobbed in the lost boy's arms, her breath shallow, her skin seeming to pale before his eyes. He didn't know much about medicine but wouldn't she need blood?
  

Kuno sidestepped a small stone on the ground. "Watch yourself for traps rogue, mine sister tends to leave her toys out in our yard."
  

Ryouga took a mental note to follow his companions path exactly.
  

*----------*
  

"Yes. Hello. I'd like to speak to the police please."
  

Kasumi pursed her lips. Even though she had acted so polite for so long, it was harder to do so now that she didn't have to. She had to force herself not to slip however, anything different about her behavior now might arise suspicion. A short moment later and she got the reply to her request.
  

"Yes. I would like to report a murder and a kidnapping." She forced a sob from her voice. "Nabiki's been taken, please come quickly."
  

After a brief pause while something was spoken over the phone, she began to relay more of her story to the detective on the phone. She told the police how their father's had gone missing and how she later found bodies in her room. Carefully reciting the fabrications she thought of moments earlier, she continued by telling them how Nabiki had gone missing and Ryouga's umbrella, followed by a fresh pool of blood were found inside her room.
  

Of course they would come to investigate, it would be silly not to. Everyone would believe anything she said. The operator on the phone assured her that immediate action would be taken and that one of their best detectives would arrive momentarily. If they dusted for prints, hers would quickly be discarded, it was her room after all.
  

Ryouga would pay for interfering, then Nabiki would have a little 'accident' during recovery. It was a shame to think that with a mind like hers, she skipped school as long as she did to care for that ungrateful family. Perhaps she could find a way to put her it to use after this whole thing had blown over.
  

All she had to do now was wait for their arrival. The evidence was on her side, her reputation was on her side. She wondered how far she could take this. Her decision was not to take it too far, lest all her careful plans unravel.
  

Hanging up the phone, she started humming a tune to herself while making her way back towards the kitchen. Perhaps she would make something for the detective to eat. After all, she needed to keep in the persona of her previous self (at least for the police).
  

*----------*
  

Land.
  

Finally Land.
  

After two days at sea since his arrival the sailors were more than willing to hurry their course to rid themselves of their passenger. Gosunkugi could care less about them. Just like everyone else they wanted nothing to do with him. For once it was fear rather than ridicule that separated him from others but it was still lonely.
  

A few moments were all he needed to pack his meager supplies that his shadow had provided him with when it brought them aboard. Nothing more than a few books (none of them magic related), a change of clothes, a dusty old scroll, and a few candy bars. The scroll was interesting enough, but he couldn't read the language it was in.
  

He walked off the boat and onto the pier. It wouldn't matter which direction he went in, the shadow would take him where it wanted him during the night. There was nothing for him to do, he had completely lost control over his life and he didn't know where this would lead him.
  

A single tear dropped from his cheek as he walked off the docks and towards the city ahead of him.
  

"Who knows just how many people are going to die because of this thing?"
  

Fate answered his question with a loud explosion and a wave of hot air and sea spray from behind him.
  

"I guess a few more."
  

Gosunkugi cried his tears, the last tears he'd ever shed. By the time he came to play his part, none of his humanity would remain. It would slip away while he cried and slowly leave his soul devoid of all his cares.
  

*----------*
  

Ryouga and Kuno had laid Nabiki on a large couch in the middle of the spacious Kuno family living room. She was laid down upon her stomach so that the knife in her back was moved as little as possible. Her wound was still bleeding but it had slowed somewhat, whether it was from blood loss or not neither could tell. Her breathing was shallow but still there, although a crimson thread escaped her mouth reminding him or her earlier coughing, it was still in her lungs.
  

With another one of his over dramatic gestures, Tatewaki Kuno (the Blue Thunder™ of Furinkan High) shouted aloud towards the heavens (or ceiling if you prefer).
  

"I shall obtain our much needed assistance in this grave manner over the life of the fair but cruel Nabiki Tendo" he gestured with his hands and bokken "you my friend the rouge must stay here at her side while I seek out a surgeon capable of mending such wounds."
  

When finished with he paraded out of the room in his normal manner. Moments later he was gone from sight into another room. Kneeling closer to Nabiki he stroked her hair and tried his best to comfort her.
  

"You know Nabiki, even if you are one of the greatest scam artists in the world, you still are only human." Jeez, how bad could he be? He was trying to comfort her and he had contracted Ranma's foot-in-mouth disease. "We're gonna get you help Nabiki, then you can tell us who did this to you. I swear that I'll stay with you until you're better."
  

*----------*
  

Shampoo was so tired.
  

She had nothing to do but wallow in her own sorrow. It was a shameless show of her weakness, it was most _unladylike_. This was the absolute confirmation that she wasn't a warrior, she was just a weakling, a failure. Great-grandmother is most likely suffering for the dishonor that she brought upon the tribe.
  

Tears fell upon her cheeks. Small lines of saline wet the sides of her face and filled her nose with it's salty smell.
  

Crying! She didn't deserve to call herself a woman.
  

This wasn't the conduct of a true Amazon warrior, it was the conduct of a reckless emotional male. Long had she put her feelings and desired above duty and honor. The Fates were obviously making her pay for this.
  

Ranma would never be hers.
  

Fresh tears now accompanied by a muffled sob.
  

Everything that she had spent the last year and a half was gone. The things that had consumed her life since her first meeting with an unusually skilled redheaded outsider was all for nothing. Her life was a waste.
  

The once proud warrior bent in half with renewed sobs. Putting her hands to her eyes she felt the warmth of her tears cover her palms, the heat of her breath against her face, the force of her body convulsing. She was alone, surrounded by strangers, headed home with nothing but dishonor.
  

She would have remained like that if not for a new feeling. A warm hand against her back and another taking her hand. Looking up she saw the face of her former rival and obstacle Akane Tendo. The shorter girl had a small smile on her face, not a smile of amusement but one of understanding.
  

"I know how you feel" she said in a soft voice.
  

How could anyone know how she felt? This was a pain like no other on earth.
  

"When my mother died I felt so alone... So afraid..." Akane continued seeming to trail off be fore recalling her thoughts "I was always afraid that I'd lose another member of my family. That's what made me want to become a martial artist. I wanted to protect them, I lost my childhood innocence, put it behind me so that I could accomplish my task." Taking a deep breath she continued "I think that a part of both my sister's died as well, Nabiki took it upon herself to protect the family money and Kasumi tried to replace mother. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you Shampoo. I know that it makes you feel as if you failed to protect them somehow, but believe me it wasn't your fault."
  

The amazon pondered on this for a moment, even if Akane didn't understand exactly everything that was going on in her head, she pointed something out that she had felt all along but never recognized. Shampoo blamed herself for Cologne's death. Had she not tried to interfere during the attack, Great-Grandmother would not have been distracted, she might have lived.
  

Then something happened that had happened many times before, just not with the same target. Shampoo grabbed Akane in a fierce hug much unlike any the smaller girl had ever encountered before.
  

Shampoo's sobbing continued, but she manged to pass two words out her lips.
  

"Thank you"
  

*----------*
  

Ryouga was getting very impatient waiting for help to arrive. Someone had to get here soon. He checked Nabiki's breathing and pulse several times periodically to see how she was doing. He didn't have to wait much longer before his companion returned with the promised medical help.
  

Of course knowing how eccentric the Kuno family was, said help was from a most unlikely source.
  

A tall girl in a green leotard walked towards them holding what appeared to be a first aid kit and a ribbon.


	15. Saviors

Well, I know that I said that it would be a bit more difficult for me to update but I managed to get my hands on my old palm pilot. Piece of crap runs out of juice the moment I unplug it from it's charger, but I can write on it and transfer it to a friends computer to submit it. Computer still dead and it's a pain in the ass to do it this way, but I'm not about to let that get me down.
  

If I owned any of the major characters, do you honestly think that I'd be too poor to fix/replace my computer?
  

*----------*
  

An uneasy feeling passed over the inhabitants of phoenix mountain. A restless feeling that something big was coming, something that would change all of their lives forever. Murmuring was heard in the grand halls and in the homes of everyone who lived there.
  

The end was near.
  

Saffron himself seemed afraid of something. Of course nobody knew exactly what was coming or exactly what to be afraid of, but they knew that it would happen. Women and children hardly left their homes, the royal guards were called into duty. All of their remaining spies and their few emissaries to the neighboring kingdoms and villages were recalled.
  

The mountain was bunkered down like it was prepared for war.
  

Everything pointed to disaster. Everyone was scared but nobody knew why.
  

Nobody except Saffron.
  

Sitting upon his throne, the immortal boy king remembered why he existed, what his purpose was. Thousands of years ago he was born specifically for the purpose of fighting this thing. He defeated it before with the help of members of the other tribes but the cost was a great amount of human life.
  

This time he wouldn't be able to do it. The fact wasn't realized out of depression or anything like that, he had no allies this time and with his current state didn't know if he would live long enough to even put up a fight. Ah-rin was strong, stronger yet than that boy who managed to defeat him earlier. Perhaps however that boy could be his hope, but how do you single out one person against every other soul on earth?
  

He was aging much faster than normal, much faster than he should have been. Most of his people, including his mages and historians, were baffled by this, but he knew better. This was overexposure to the hot water tap. He was absorbing too much energy too fast and he didn't know how much longer it would be until he 'shorted-out'.
  

All he could do now is prepare his people for the long fight ahead of them and hope that they would make it out alright.
  

Getting up from his throne, the short phoenix slowly walked towards the large window in the room. This was one of the few ones that hadn't been barricaded yet. Leaning out it's edge he felt a surprisingly cool breeze confront his face. The sun was setting over the mountains in the distance. It was both a beautiful and foreboding sight before him.
  

*----------*
  

Ryouga was surprised to see Kodachi of all people. He probably shouldn't have been, after all this was her house. Without her usual sense of humor and a surprisingly calm (and dare I say it rational) manner she kneeled down in front of the couch that Nabiki was laid down upon.
  

The gymnast placed her fingers upon the other girl's neck and checked for a pulse. It was there but very weak. Reaching into the bag she carried in with her she removed some plastic tubing and two syringes. Turning over to the bandanna wearing traveler she explained what she was doing.
  

"This vial contains a drug that will slow her heartbeat, it will also slow the bleeding. After I say so I want you to pull the blade from her back." Kodachi said in a clinical voice.
  

"But it's in her lungs, she'll drown in her own blood" Ryouga stammered.
  

"If I don't do something soon then she'll bleed to death long before she gets the chance to drown." She coldly stated. "Brother Dear!" she called "send for father, I may need his help."
  

Wasting no time at all, the black rose injected Nabiki with her drug in a vein in her lower neck. "Now!"
  

Ryouga did as he was instructed and removed the hunting knife from her back releasing a small spray of blood and a sickening popping noise. Before he could react to such a sight however, Kodachi produced her ribbon and began to wrap it around the mercenary's body, covering the wound like a bandage. When Kodachi finished dressing the wound, she had Ryouga elevate her patient's upper torso by resting her head and shoulders underneath the couch pillows.
  

"This should prevent blood from getting farther up into her lungs. If I may inquire to ask peasant, how did she come to be in such a state? Though she has many who are at odds with her, nobody has as of yet attempted anything on her person, not since Ranma-san moved in with her family" the last part was spoken with a sad tone of voice, almost a hushed whisper.
  

"I found her like this in Kasumi's room. I recognize the knife though." Ryouga said, feeling like this was only the beginning of a much larger inquisition.
  

"Indeed then..." She thinned her lips "Just whose knife is it?"
  

"Mine" He whispered.
  

Had this been any other family, had this been any other town on earth, such a statement would have been much more surprising, but Nerima was well known for it's nonsensical events. If they weren't so pressed for time then Kodachi might have inquired further into what he knew but she had better things to do right now than satisfy her curiosities.
  

"Dammit Tatewaki! I said to summon father!"
  

*----------*
  

Kiima paced within the confines of her quarters. It was a fairly spartan room, not much but the bare necessities. For the time being she had nothing to do, Saffron had reasserted control over the phoenix military and was using that power to fortify the mountain. Why he was doing this was unknown, he said that it was for a very good reason but stated that he would not explain until the time was right.
  

She stretched her wings out a little releasing the tension in the muscles. It had been days since she flew last, since her king told her that he loved her.
  

How did he love her?
  

As a friend?
  

A mother?
  

Something more?
  

There were too many things for her to worry about right now. If she remembered correctly he said that he was going to die. This time he seemed serious about it, very solemn, as if he wouldn't come back this time, but that couldn't be true. Could it?
  

She had to get out of here, had to do something. Lately she had been acting less like the commander of the army and more like a weak peasant girl. If all she could do was help board up the windows, she would do something to occupy her time and her mind.
  

*----------*
  

Nabiki awoke to an inferno of pain. A tearing, popping kind of pain in her back. She felt something rip, a pressure being released, and then more pressure, this time from the outside.
  

Faintly she could hear voices. It was hard to tell where they were coming from, she couldn't see or move. The voices sounded familiar but she felt too disoriented to recall whose they were.
  

At first everything seemed to be murmurs and muffled sounds but the more she tried, she found that she could hear what they were saying. Someone was looking for their father, she seemed awfully upset. If she could move, she would offer to help (for a modest fee of course).
  

The girl was also instructing another person, a young man, on... something, she couldn't make out exactly what. The voices seemed to fade in and out whenever she tried to move or say anything. All she could make out right now was the depth and inflection in their voices but not much more.
  

Was she paralyzed? Drugged?
  

What would make her think that? Something in that voice suggested it to her. It tugged at her memory, teasing her with a thought that she couldn't recall.
  

Who was this girl?
  

Who was the man with her?
  

Her questions were put aside to another corner of her mind while her ability to hear returned to her. Nabiki carefully returned all of her efforts to listening in on the disembodied voices that were somewhere near her but beyond her reach.
  

"Sister dear, I have brought father"
  

"Aloha keikeis wat can i do fur ya?"
  

"Father would you object to letting me use one of your coconuts"
  

"Wat? No problum anyting for my little 'datchi"
  

"and another thing father, I'll need you to summon an ambulance right away."
  

If she could, Nabiki would have cried, here she was trapped in limbo without a way to contact the outside world. There was something that she remembered now, there was something that she had to tell them, but what was it? 
  

Kasumi...
  

it was Kasumi.
  

There was another pain now, a soft pinch in her neck and a bit of irritation that spread downwards from it. A cold numb sensation spread from that site towards the rest of her body and without much more notice to the outside world as her awakening. Nabiki fell back into unconsciousness.


	16. Escape

Ok I managed to squeeze another update out.
I apologize for the size of the last one, it looked much larger on my palm's screen.
A few things I'd like to note (and get some feedback on).
  

I got a not-so-positive review lately – not really a problem for me I always ask for honest input
  

I just might be able to get a new computer soon
  

Wow, someone named Jerry Unipeg decided to review every single chapter individually (all positive) it cheered up an otherwise sucky day in my life.
  

I am thinking about changing this to an R rating, after going over some of my chapters I decided that maybe it's just a little too violent. (please, I'd like input here)
  

Anyways, I don't own these characters so don't you be getting any funny ideas about me.
  

*----------*
  

Life's a funny thing really.
  

When you wake up in the morning and prepare to start your day, you have no idea where you'll end up later. Things can change so fast for you. Earth-Shattering revelations could just walk right up and smack you in the face.
  

This is how things became for Ryouga, though not just in the span of a day. It took three days to be precise. He had gone from being a reckless, belligerous, hollow shell of a man to something more.
  

The realization finally dawned on him lately that violence was not always the best course of action. Lately, there had been many things that just popped up in his life that he couldn't fight, things that he couldn't really blame on Ranma.
  

Ranma.
  

Though there were countless times that they were adversaries and plenty of things that they would fight about, Ranma really was the closest thing to a friend that he had. Looking back there were plenty of times that he blamed Ranma for something that really wasn't his fault, the few times he did do something it was mostly harmless.
  

He did disguise himself as Ryouga's sister, but then again he should have remembered that he never had a sister.
  

Even though he could see clearly now, things were so much more complicated.
  

Nabiki. If it wasn't for him, she'd probably be dead. Instead, he operated completely by panic, and his panic served him well. He had bumped into Kuno, managed to avoid getting into a fight and get medical help for her. The Kuno family really surprised him, they weren't nearly as crazy as he remembered them being, perhaps a side-effect of the serious situation.
  

Kodachi was the most surprising of all, though at second thought she shouldn't have been. All that knowledge of hers wasn't restricted to poisons or potions, he real calling lay in medicine. She slowed Nabiki's heart rate to slow her bleeding, added something else to relieve any pain in case she was still conscious, then proceeded to use coconut juice of all things as a makeshift replacement for blood plasma.
  

Out of all of them, Kodachi seemed to be the sanest one. Was this a temporary thing, or just maybe was the behavior everyone normally identified her with just an elaborate act?
  

The ambulances were arriving, so was a police car, possibly to investigate the occurrence. Then a few more arrived, and then a few more, and more. The Kuno family home was surrounded by police cars, officers stepped out of them and readied their guns.
  

What the hell is going on now?
  

*----------*
  

Ranma's ears popped as their plane finally began it's descent.
  

It was about time.
  

Looking out the window he could make out the houses and streets below him. The cars were smaller than ants from up here, just little points of color from in his view. Despite the agony of the flight, the view was truly magnificent.
  

Perhaps he would talk the girls into indulging themselves before the made their way to the amazon village. Tourism was something he never got to do. Perhaps a little distraction would even help Shampoo feel a little better.
  

Looking over at his companions, he saw Akane attempting to deal with one of Shampoo's monster hugs. He tried telling her that it wasn't easy to get away from, _but noooo,_ she just thought he was a baka pervert. It's almost too bad that she'd probably let up in a moment or two as the aircraft completed it's descent.
  

The view out the window was inescapable once more. Houses and cars were much more visible, the windows and lights glittered like millions of stars. As they turned about to make their approach, he looked towards the distance at the harbor. There seemed to be something going on there, a thick dark smoke billowed out from one of the piers and into the vast expanse of the sky.
  

Something deep inside his gut fixed his eyes on that. Not knowing why , he just knew that it was wrong, that it was somehow connected to them.
  

Shaking his head he quickly dismissed that as paranoia. A lot of weird things were happening lately, but that still wasn't an excuse to believe that a fire down at a dock in a foreign country was somehow connected to the strange events as of late.
  

Curses, prophesies, it would all be meaningless to him if it weren't for his curse. He never believed in magic beforehand, somehow experiencing it was enough to leave doubt in his mind that the amazon's could be right. They had never lied to him before about this sort of thing, and Colonge's death, along with Mousse led him to believe that this was not a trick as usual.
  

Inevitably, the plane turned again to complete it's approach, blocking the scene from his view. A wave of relief passed through him, though he would never admit it. Shampoo had released her prisoner who was gasping for air like she had never breathed before. The Chinese girl was still a little teared up, but seemed to be doing much better.
  

The fasten belt sign lit up and they complied without hesitation. All three of them were more than anxious to leave it. Much more fidgeting ensued.
  

*----------*
  

"Hibiki! We know you're in there! Come out with your hands up!"
  

Great, this was all that they needed now. Why would the police possibly be after him?
  

Whatever it was, they had their weapons drawn. Ryouga wasn't too sure that he wanted to find out just yet what they wanted, but knew that they weren't going to let the ambulance crew in until they were sure it was safe.
  

For once a new option had opened up for him. Had a situation like this occurred before, he would have tried to fight his way through it, much like everything in his life. He wasn't about to turn himself in either, he'd done nothing wrong and needed to find out what they wanted first.
  

Ryouga did the only thing that he could think of, he complied. Slowly he walked out the door towards the small army/ They began to aim their weapons carefully at him, following his every move. Nervously he began to raise his arms above his head, a few of Nerima's finest walked towards him with cuffs. Nervously he lowered his arms so that they could restrain him. One of the younger officers behind his car panicked at his movement and shot first, grazing his elbow.
  

Shit.
  

On second thought, Ryouga felt that now would be a good time to find a new, third option. He was planning on doing this the easy way, but if they were actually going to shoot him then he wasn't going to stick around long enough to ask them why. Sprinting out of the door, he turned suddenly behind a tree and got lost.
  

He would go down in history for this, not as a criminal or anything, but as the one person who managed to completely lose the police within plain sight before they could even start to follow.
  

*----------*
  

Three weary travelers disembarked from what could only be described as a hellish plane ride. None of them could seem to find peace except the one that was normally short on it.
  

Ranma, with both a desire to be helpful and to show off a little offered to carry everyone's bags. Normally such a thing would be considered a gentlemanly act, normally however there aren't a half-dozen full-size bags. Carefully stacked and balanced on his arms he made his way through the Chinese terminal with an almost inhuman grace avoiding both the ceiling and the multitudes of other travelers.
  

Akane could only fume at this. Most of the time her anger was directed for one of two reasons, 1. he was being either a baka or pervert 2. he was showing off how much better he was than her. When he was being perverse it merely embarrassed her, when he was showing off it angered her to no end. It hurt her a small degree the way he or his friends/enemies could so easily do what she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried.
  

Shampoo was just too tired to care. Physically the trip only made her muscles and joints stiffen, but her mind was the most troubled part. It helped a little that her companions, no friends, wanted to help her and that they cared, but it would still take some time for her to heal from these kind of wounds.
  

Down the corridor they spotted a gentleman dressed in what appeared to be fine suit holding a sign with what appeared to be a very sloppy 'Saotome' written on it. Nabiki had obviously arranged for transportation to their hotel, a nice gesture that easily surprised Ranma and Shampoo.
  

Together they walked towards their driver. Finding out that he didn't speak Japanese was a bit of a letdown (Nabiki had to save money somehow) but after an interruption by the amazon in their group, they realized that they could still communicate with him. The hotel was just a short drive away and they were to stay in one of the most expensive suites (another surprise to Ranma and Shampoo).
  

Without much more hesitation, they silently agreed that perhaps they would spend the night in the hotel room. After all it would be such a shame to waste Nabiki's money like that. Shampoo informed the driver of their decision and Ranma, Akane, Shampoo, and their driver made their way out of the airport and towards their car.


	17. Just a game

I don't own them, never did.

  


*---------*

  


The universe as it is seen is a much different place than it often appears to the naked eye. Like an endless game of chess, pieces come into play, complete their moves, and then eventually fall. Both sides in this timeless game play their moves carefully with near limitless resources. 'Good' and 'Evil' constantly challenging each other and gaining whatever ground they lose.

  


One such piece was finally completing his move. He was once known as Hikaru Gosunkugi, an amateur sorcerer who had accidentally channeled a dangerous and powerful entity. This shadow would tell him almost nothing except what it wanted him to know, what it could not hide from him.

  


He had witnessed so much death, so much pain and suffering at the hands of this shadow and it's shards. The Mousse, those crones, Kasumi, both Ranma and Akane's fathers, those fishermen, this darkness had touched them all and either killed or corrupted everything in its wake.

  


It was killing him, slowly but assuredly, it was killing him. Little by little, ever since his last night in Japan he had known.

  


It wasn't until the night after he had arrived in China that it finally chose to reveal all its secrets to him. He would finally know what he did to deserve this, what would become of him, and what this was leading to.

  


The purpose of the shadows was like something out of a cheap horror movie. They were the only parts of their master that could venture to earth while he was sealed away in hell. After performing a blood-sacrifice and a spell to allow more of him out, he would kill they one who defied this 'Saffron' person.

  


Gosunkugi knew where this was going. He was the blood sacrifice.

  


The scrolls contained more than just the prophesy of these events however, the decorative knots around the borders were actually a language. Somewhere in that tangled mess were instructions on how how the demon should proceed. The ritual, the spells, and the identity of it's victim would be revealed after they visited a place called Jusenkyo.

  


Trudging along the rocky path set before him, he let his mind wander to reflect on his life. After losing his freewill, he had no choice but to do as he was ordered, besides even if he still could resist there was no point. Compared to the demon that now controlled him, nobody he knew was even in the same league.

  


While one black piece moved, another piece, side undecided, began it's turn.

  


*----------*

  


Ryouga traveled along a familiar path. The scenery was different, the people strange, no familiar landmarks, but he knew exactly where he was... Hopelessly lost. Normally such a turn of events would drive him into a deep depression that he would typically end up blaming Ranma for.

  


This time he was actually glad that he was lost. A direct conflict with the Nerima police was not one of the things he had planned on doing this week, but when you get lost as frequently as the Hibiki clan, you learn not to make many long term plans. At least Nabiki was safe with the Kuno's, he'd brought her to somebody who could help her better.

  


Things were escalating, to what he was uncertain, but he could tell within his gut that something was building on the horizon. Something new was coming, something big. Too many weird things have been happening as of late to merely dismiss.

  


Shit.

  


Kasumi.

  


If whoever had done this to Nabiki was still in the area, then Kasumi could possibly be in danger as well.

  


Something about that just didn't quite sit well in his stomach. That had to be Kasumi's room. The unnatural cleanliness of it all, the brown dresses, the sudden appearance of the police. It just wasn't right.

  


Kasumi.

  


The thought was almost blasphemous, and yet... he knew that it was right. Somehow she was responsible for this. Somehow poor, sweet, innocent Kasumi did this to her sister and her father.

  


Ryouga felt very sick to his stomach just thinking about this.

  


Why?

  


*----------*

  


The rules of every game only seem rigid to the players. Most observers would find them to be chaotic and bizarre. Though most people cannot see it, life is a game.

  


No, there is no victory at the end.

  


No glory.

  


No prize.

  


To those living it, it would seem pointless, bizarre, but to the gods there are very distinct and set rules.

  


One god knew that his time was up. His immortality came at a price and he willingly paid the ransom for his eventual death.

  


Saffron had experienced life hundreds of times longer than even some of the oldest men under his rule. He had watched as his parents died, his lovers, his children.

  


A mortal once said that the most terrible tragedy was to outlive your own children.

  


How many had he outlived? He couldn't even remember all of their names anymore, their faces dulled and blurred by the sands of time, while he remained.

  


This was a duty he had accepted and taken. The whole purpose of his life was to prevent death, prevent this evil from ever taking his people.

  


How many children? How many wives had he watched whither and die before him while he silently wished that he could join them?

  


Ah-rin was coming back now. It couldn't be prevented, that much was certain. Saffron would finally get his wish. He would finally get to die.

  


One King had moved, ready for the coming battle, ready for his imminent death. In a way, this war was a game too. Unlike most games however, no single piece is the most important. There was no end until one side was eliminated completely.

  


War is pointless like that. A few would have you believe that like chess, it is a graceful and planned thing. That there are such things as acceptable losses.

  


Unfortunately, war is no such graceful thing. If any human game adequately equates it, checkers was more accurate. Nobody wins until the other side is obliterated.

  


Saffron bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. Now was finally his chance to finish it, to end his long and lonely existence.

  


Was he willing to sacrifice the lives of every man, woman, and child on this mountain to get what he wanted?

  


*----------*

  


In a hotel a few hundred miles east a bishop, rook, and queen lay asleep. Two in a fancy down bed and one on the floor. Though it was just now nearing dusk, all three had been asleep for sometime, resting from the excitement of the day past.

  


Too many things had happened to them in the past week. Too many awful things for anyone to experience in such a short period of time. All of them had lost something.

  


Ranma hid his feelings from the rest of them, but in his dreams, his demons returned to haunt him. The face of Mousse visited him nightly since his battle. It sneered at him, taunted him, and cursed him for killing it's likeness. It danced around the inside of the Nekohanten and threw chain after chain at him binding him down and cutting at his skin.

  


Shampoo had blamed herself for her ancestor's death and held this like a terrible disease within her soul. She too was visited by the faces of the dead. Her great-grandmother cursing her for not training well enough, fallen warriors and matriarchs dismissing her for shaming them and the tribe. Fallen enemies rose at night to laugh at her misfortune, revel in her despair.

  


In their sleep, their aura's flared and changed hues from their normal healthy colors to a sickly green.

  


Akane was the only one who had not changed.

  


Even though she appeared unaffected, her dreams were taking a disturbing turn once more.

  


There was a lake, it was large and seemed to be the result of a blast crater.

  


Ranma stood at one end across from her while in the middle some _thing_ wallowed. It twisted and contorted in a sickening manner that made her dizzy just watching it. Thrashing it's limbs about, it bended and folded much like the surface of the lake it sat in.

  


It would threw some of it's pseudopods at Ranma in an attempt to strike him, which he easily dodged. The creature couldn't quite reach him no matter how hard it tried, but at the same time, Ranma didn't seem to be performing like usual.

  


Ranma seemed to be crying, but that couldn't be. Ranma never cries. He was shouting something that she couldn't make out and then he charged.

  


*----------*

  


  



	18. Torture

Yeah, well after updating an earlier version of this (not very many changes were made) I got the inspiration to finish it.

  


I hate it when authors don't update stories and then leave you hanging, so I released part of this earlier.

  


Now it's been spell checked and a new scene added that I didn't even think of before.

  


And to the one guy who reviewed the earlier version. Yeah, this is darker than I originally intended, but I have no intention of turning back now.

  


Standard disclaimers apply.

  


*----------*

  


It had been days since Ranma had left that nightmare known as air travel and got his feet back on the ground and at least one day since they had past the last large city. Though much slower, walking just felt right to him. Akane didn't seem to be capable of such prolonged activity, but Ranma had no qualms about picking her up to assist her (even if she was too prideful to accept help).

  


Shampoo obviously hadn't lost her edge. She had tracked him all the way from her village to Nerima in a very short period of time and certainly appeared capable of repeating the distance home. Though her spirit seemed dulled somewhat by the death of her mentor, Ranma could still sense the prideful amazon warrior lurking behind the sorrow.

  


Looking back at his companions, he noticed that since their flight, Shampoo and Akane had gotten much closer and seemed to be developing a friendship of sorts. Both of them had lost someone that they loved and worked with each other to mend themselves. The two chatted endlessly about 'girly' things and about their feelings and experiences (and just a little bit about him).

  


Despite the amount of talking going on, Ranma felt very alone. Socializing was never a good part of his character, it was one of those things that life on the road tended to discourage. As a child he was a much more open person but he kept losing every friend that he made; Ucchan, Ryouga, many others that he had met during the various stops he made while training.

  


Thinking about such things dampened his spirits. Before, he had never had that problem, nothing could change his outlook on life. Now things were very different. People, demons, whatever were trying to kill him and he had to take a life to preserve his own.

  


He couldn't save them.

  


He couldn't even save himself.

  


Happosai. Cologne. Mousse.

  


They were all dead and it was his fault.

  


Ranma choked his feelings down. Remembering what his father taught him, he balled his anger and sadness up and put it away. Emotions would only cloud his judgment and make whatever battle that was to come all the more difficult. He had to think clearly and focus on the task at hand, that was the only way to get through life without driving yourself mad.

  


He was not going to lose another one.

  


He was not going to lose Akane.

  


Not again.

  


Twice before he had lost her. Once to that damn doll and once to Saffron. Both times it was his fault, just her being near him was enough to threaten her life. He loved her so much, ever since Saffron he had been able to admit to it, but he was unable to express himself.

  


If she were to be hurt again he could never live with himself. 

  


Whatever this thing that he was supposed to be going up against, it wanted him dead. It obviously had no qualms about killing other people who got in the way however, so he was going to have to figure out a way to keep her safe. The idea of getting her lost and trapping her somewhere held little appeal as she wouldn't understand what he was trying to do. She probably wouldn't understand it he tried to talk her into leaving him alone.

  


As long as she was with him, she was in danger.

  


Perhaps he could convince the Amazons to hold her behind in somewhere safe.

  


The Amazons.

  


Crap.

  


No matter what Ranma thought of he couldn't figure a way to minimize the casualties.

  


*----------*

Slowly it crept up to its goal.

  


All the work, the pain, the trail of death was finally over.

  


It could sense that it's prey was behind it, but foolishly approaching.

  


Thousands of years had passed since it had last seen these mountains, this land, and for the most part it was relatively unchanged. The peoples nearby still avoided this site and the seclusion was comforting. It had been surrounded by too many humans for too long.

  


These detestable insects that now dominated the rest of this planet had no chance.

  


How could the gods have chosen to favor these _things_?

  


They were weak, corrupt, and greedy. The earth had been raped for their convenience and they cared little for the suffering of others.

  


Gosunkugi crouched down on the ground and began to cut markings in the ground with his fingers. He had not eaten nor rested since landing upon this country and it showed, his normally emaciated frame took on a tanned worn appearance with holes and ragged bits like old leather. His eyes had sunken into their sockets and were almost invisible.

  


Bony fingers completed their marks upon the ground and a raspy whisper of a voice began to chant in a lost tongue.

  


The pools of water nearby began to glow, letting off a faint blue light that was visible even during the noon sun.

  


Sneering the possessed boy walked past them off towards the east.

  


He had called the pools, beseeched their help and now the proper pool replied. It would be the instrument of change, there was only one piece left to the puzzle.

  


*----------*

  


Nabiki had always made it a habit in her life to spy on others near her. It both honed her skills and provided with information that some people would pay for either it's release or its continued secrecy. Normally, she would congratulate herself on the ability to remain unnoticed while others were talking, but now it was due to her condition rather than skill.

  


All Nabiki wanted now was to be noticed. It was either where Kasumi(no not Kasumi) stabbed her, or a side effect from Kodachi's drugs, but Nabiki was unable to move. The rest of the world passed her by and all she could do was listen in on it. She could still hear and feel and smell everything, but she wasn't able to move a single muscle.

  


She had been aware of most of what had transpired since her earlier incident with that **thing** that looked like her older sister. After hearing discussions by the Kuno siblings and others who were apparently her doctors.

  


The stiffness in her back and neck were a good indication as to how long she had been here.

  


Too long.

  


"Doctor how goes the progress on Tendo Nabiki?" the cocky and refined voice of Tatewaki Kuno came from a few feet to her right.

  


Somehow she expected to hear Hibiki's voice but she couldn't understand why.

  


Was he here?

  


Had she seen him recently?

  


Her thoughts were so scattered. It required a great deal of effort to think clearly, at least she hoped that she was thinking clearly. 

All Nabiki wanted to do right now was make some kind of noise, to somehow be acknowledged.

  


Without much choice, she listened in as another voice came through from outside the hall.

  


"Oh my! How could Ryouga have possibly done such a thing?"

  


*----------*


	19. Shock

Yeah, I know.

It's been a while since I've updated and this is a rather small one at that.

Things have been real hectic lately. (Looking for a new job, possibly an new place to stay, but hopefully that will be fixed soon.)

  


I promise to have another chapter (maybe two) sometime before the end of next week

  


*----------*

  


The security was much more like boredom to it's inhabitants. They were shut in, barricaded against the rest of the world. Sunlight was almost forgotten and the faint smell of lamp oil permeated the halls.

  


Everyone was on edge lately, and the few who doubted the king's omnipotence would agree that he was too. Whatever it was that could strike fear and paranoia in the heart of a god was probably not going to be stopped by a few boards and rocks covering their tunnels and paths.

  


The few who got the irony of the situation would almost say it was hilarious. The barricades were meant for the protection of the people inside the mountain, but instead they were all sealed in a giant tomb. The living were in the darkness, the silence of the mountain fearing something that their king would not reveal to them.

  


With the whole mountain boarded up and reinforced, there was not much for the military to do other than calm the civilians down. By the king's orders, nobody would be allowed to leave the mountain for any reason until he declared otherwise.

  


Though they could not see it, they could hear the thunder rolling in from the east and the wind howling at the cracks between the boards on what used to be the doors.

  


Something was coming, a bad storm rushed in from the horizon and a cold wind pushed it's way from between the boards and rocks guarding them. 

  


*----------*

  


Kiima was not happy with the way things had been going lately. Having forced herself to push her depression aside, she realized that if Saffron couldn't have defeated that boy then there was no way that she could have protected him. This was a small comfort, but it was all she could do to try to convince herself that she wasn't a complete failure. Still, she had to feel something about it.

  


The only thing she could feel now was anger.

  


Frustrated, she paced the floor of her chambers unable to think of a way to properly vent herself. All there was left was pure rage. Anger and frustration at a level reserved for righteous fury and uncute tomboys.

  


That boy! Girl! Whatever! Had killed Saffron! No, he may not have died then, but he was dieing now!

  


She collapsed on the floor tears welling up in her eyes. This was all too much.

  


Why did it have to be her?

  


Why is it that everything is falling apart now that she's supposed to be in control of them?

  


Damn it! it wasn't fair!

  


Everything that used to be constant in her lives was changing too fast for her to be comfortable. It was all slipping past her fingers and falling away. Her role, her sanity, her confidence was lost, in her place was a depressed little child crying out for help dealing with events that she didn't want to face.

  


She was supposed to be in command here!

  


She was supposed to protect her people!

  


So why should she cower behind these walls like a commoner! If there was something out there that her people needed to be protected from, **_she_** would make sure that they were protected!.

  


Smashing a large hole in what used to be her bedroom window, she took to wing and set herself towards the storm.

  


*----------*

  


**Shit!**

  


All the protective barriers around Nabiki melted away like wax against an inferno.

  


_That voice_

  


She couldn't quite remember if she actually got up or jumped out of bed, but the next thing she knew she was out of bed and on her feet. A dizzy spell took hold of her but her fight or flight response forced her to ignore it and assess the situation.

  


Looking down at what she was wearing and the iv in her arm, as well as the antiseptic smell, it was easy to conclude that she was in some sort of hospital. A mirror on the wall to her left gave her a good look at her face. Much paler than she had ever remembered seeing it in the past.

  


A pain in her lower back informed her that such sudden movements were probably not the best idea right now.

  


**Kasumi**

  


Kasumi was outside and Nabiki was defenseless!

  


She clenched the pole holding her iv bag tightly as if her life depended upon it.

  


The door began to open, Nabiki backed up until she was up against a window. She probably shouldn't do that either. _Too much pain_.

  


*----------*

  


Tatewaki Kuno stepped through the threshold of Nabiki's hospital room with her grieving sister expecting to see an incapacitated Nabiki. He defenately did not expect to see a screaming girl holding a metal pole charging at him.

  


Seemingly from nowhere he produced his bokken and knocked her pole aside expecting her to stand down. Instead, she followed his block with a kick to the face giving him a lewd (but not unappreaciated) view before her foot contacted with his face. Aside from what the hospital gown barely covered, this was a side of the middle Tendo sister that he never saw before.

  


Were it not for the black eye, he would admit that it excited him somewhat. There was just something he liked about tough girls like her sister or that readheaded one that shared the same name with Saotome.

  


He prepared his guard again for another attack... but it never came. Turning around he found his attacker against the wall with her hands around a smiling Kasumi's neck.

  


"Surely she's glad that her sister is alive" he muttered to himself as he made his way over to the nurse call button against Nabiki's bed.

  


...At least that was what he had intended to do until he noticed the reflection in the mirror across the bed.

  


Where was Kasumi?

  


*----------*

  


The immortal phoenix king sat in his throne, deep in thought. Two guards stood at either side, though their presence was mostly for show.

  


A sharp chill ran down his spine forcing Saffron to practically jump out of his chair.

  


Another sudden jolt wracked his spine, followed by an intense feeling of sickness passing over him. This was a feeling that he had not experienced in a long time, a _very_ long time.

  


A flash of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder from a nearby mountain seemed to reinforce this feeling of doom.

  


The messenger was here, and his prey was not far behind.

  


Sheepishly a nervous guard in a brown robe approached him.

  


His voice trembling, he reported the one thing that Saffron didn't want to hear.

  


"Kiima has fled my liege"


	20. Kill

Wow.

Once again I'm back with another installment that doesn't seem to really resolve anything.

But I promised an update.

  


Don't worry, I've got the next 3 segments planned out and hopefully by then the next segment will start.

  


Not to spoil anything, but expect a **really** big plot twist in the arc following this one.

  


***----------***

  


**Kill**

  


"I have to kill her!" Nabiki screamed with nothing more than pure fury in her voice.

  


"I! Have! To! Kill! Her!"

  


Kasumi only smiled back at her with a vacant expression on her face, eyes fixed on the struggling girl holding her against the wall.

  


"Goodbye little sister" she replied with a saccarine sweetness in her voice before smashing a free hand at the stiches on her attacker's back.

  


A small spash of blood and a piercing scream left Nabiki's injured body forcing her to ceace her assault. Kasumi, however had just begun her attack, and proceded to kick and stomp on the fallen body of her sister, shreiking with equal rage.

  


Kasumi had come to far to be stopped now.

  


"Halt!" A bruised Kuno stepped before her, bokken drawn. "Such a dishonorable creature, to attack an injured woman, while in the hospital no less."

  


Kasumi seemed to pay no mind to him and instead continued her kicking.

  


"I know not who or what you are, but I can not allow you to continue your assault on the fair Nabiki" He continued.

  


"Then I'll finish it on you!" A raspy voice from behind Kasumi's face replied.

  


The eldest Tendo produced a knife from the waist of her skirt and charged at him while the wannabe samurai retrieved his bokken from the floor.

  


"Then to the death it is" He responded while barely dodging a stab aimed at his midsection.

  


Throwing her away, he prepared to return the attack with a smug remark when she robounded off the wall and litterally launched herself towards him again.

  


She attempted another stab that he barely backed away from. He drew his weapon forward, attempting to convincer her that he would not back down from a fight such as this. She merely sneered and then left several slices that shredded the front of his shirt, almost catching his skin.

  


What followed was a bunch of close calls as Kasumi patiently and prescisly aimed her weapon at as many vital areas, while Kuno barely managed to block the more serious hits. She had punctured something in each shoulder causing blood to run down his sleeves and a nagging pain when he moved but not much actual damage. The housewife was getting through his defences and if he didn't get on the offensive soon, he may not last long enough when the opportunity would present it'sself.

  


The Tendo's were obviously much more skilled than they tended to demonstrate.

  


*----------*

  


Gosunkugi/Shadow slowly paced his way towards a faint red light amidst the blue lights of the other pools. This way the pool linked to his prey, with the magic behind this water he would be able to unlock his master from the seal placed upon him. The shadow and it's bretheren would be able to return to this world to serve their master Ah-rin and destroy their enemies.

  


Clouds gathered over his head and a rumbling began in the distance. He began to increase the tempo and volume of his chanting. The sky darkened and the glow from the pools grew in intensity until there was nothing before him but columns of energy reaching towards the sky.

  


Shuffling towards his goal, the clouds seemed to intensify. The lightning got closer, striking a nearby mountain, then a tree several meters from him. Something wanted him to stop this but there was no chance of that happening after he was so close to his goal.

  


His body was refusing to move.It _resisted_ him.

  


That boy! The pathetic little wizard was trying to stop him. He had some magic afterall.

  


But the shadow was stronger than that boy. He would win, and he could feel that the boy knew this too.

  


More lighning now, stronger, the winds were picking up. Fallen leaves from trees blew across his face, irritating yes, but not enough to stop him.

  


From deep within the rotting shell of Hikaru Gosunkugi, the young sorcerer made one final attempt.

  


Lightning struck the creature and the boy, their body was one, their pain as one.

  


Gosunkugi hoped that this would be enough to stop the demon.

  


He staggered for a bit, his human body was finally succumbing to the wear that had been placed on it. His shadow quivered for a bit, then began creeping up his legs and stomache until it seemed as if his lower body had been replaced by the blackest coal imaginiable. With a jerky and robotic movement, his legs once more began to carry him towards the red spring.

  


The boy was barely alive. If he didn't hurry, he would need a new sacrifice.

  


Tonight he would awaken his master, and in mere days Ah-rin would be strong enough to leave the confines of his prison.

  


*----------*

  


Ahead in the distance, Ranma saw lights in the sky and darkening clouds that seemed to be centered on their destination.

  


  


A cold wind blew through the plains ahead of them and from beyond the mountain range, he could sense that there was something very **wrong**. He shivered, once.

  


Looking over at Akane and Shampoo, he could see by the expressions on their faces that they felt the same way he did. They were obviously both trying to control their emotions.

  


Once again, he felt something akin to fear.

  


Whatever this was it was bad...

  


...and just possibly worse than cats.

  


*----------*

  


She was tough.

  


She was damn tough.

  


The Blue Thunder had diven her every thing that he had just holding Kasumi off.

  


Small scratches in his arms and tears in his clothing were all he had in the way of physical damage, but he was weakening by the minute. He couldn't keep up with this kind of fighting for much longer, while she looked as relaxed and calm as when they had first entered the building. The elder Tendo wasn't even perspiring yet!

  


A slice towards himDeflected by his bokken

A stab at his ribsBarely sidestepped

  


This was it! An opening! With the brief time he had while she was recovering from her lunge, Tatewaki Kuno struck his enemy on the back of the head. Not enough for a lethal hit, but hopefully enough to knock her out.

  


Thud!

  


The body of Tendo Kasumi struck the ground in a heap. Kuno sighed with releif that his ordeal was over, a sigh which immediately became a scream when his foe reached her leg out and tripped him. The shock of such a quick retaliation reminded him of earlier with Nabiki, but this time he was the one to lose his weapon.

  


With an unearthly screech, she turned around and jumped straight at him, pinning him to the ground.

  


She had her hands around his neck.He couldn't breath.

She was suffocating him.He had lost.

She had defeated him.He had failed to protect Nabiki.

  


Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Furinkan, had been defeated in battle. The fact that he had fallen in an honorable way was of little comfort to him as he felt himself slowly losing feeling in his limbs. His vision blurred, and then he finally went limp.


	21. Blood

Wow, the end of this arc...

  


...and it still hasn't gotten any easier.

  


If you thought things were complicated before, it only gets more murky from here.

  


On a side note, I never got a response as to whether you think that I should change the rating to 'R'. If I overstep the bounds of PG-13 please let me know before someone gets pissed at me.

  


P.S. Thank you all who reviewed last time, it's one of the few ways I can tell that somebody is still reading this tripe.

  


*----------*

  


Kasumi pounded at the still frame of her target. Tatewaki Kuno was out cold on the receiving end of a savage beating.

  


"Nothing! Nothing will get in my way anymore!" Kasumi screamed while throwing a few more punches at the young man's torso.

  


"Hey. Bitch." a familiar voice came from behind her. "Eat this!"

  


Kasumi turned around only to have the bottom of an iv bag holder shoved in her face, breaking her nose and cutting her lips.

  


Kasumi turned to spit as a grayish-black fluid escaped her lips and run down her chin, only to be struck again by a half-mad Nabiki. She fell on the floor and tried to back away from her assailant.

  


WHAM! Nabiki crushed one of Kasumi's hands with her iv pole. More black fluid escaped from her cuts and gashes.

  


WHAM! Nabiki put more force into this one and smashed her opponent's right foot.

  


Grinning maniacally, the middle Tendo sister prepared to deliver another blow to the creature's torso only to have her weapon snatched by it's undamaged hand and pushed back at her. She flew backwards towards the wall and shattered the mirror on impact, sending glass shrapnel flying across the room. The pieces dug into her skin, letting what little blood she had left bleed out through the multitudes of cuts along her skin, as well as irritating her earlier injury.

  


She wanted to cry.

  


She wanted to just let out all of her frustrations in one explosive rage.

  


The blood.

  


The blood all over her skin, all over her robes.

  


She was so dizzy, so tired, she was barely aware of the visage of her sister crawling towards her with one hand. It hurt too much to move. Kasumi came closer, shuffling as best she could with only one hand and one usable foot. The demon almost made a grimace as the glass points started embedding themselves in her hands and knees.

  


Slowly it made it's way up towards Nabiki's throat. It brought its hand upward to strangle her, but fell forward from the lack of support. It's weight pushed the girl back against the wall again, illiciting a faint cry. Once more, the creature brought it's horribly torn hand up to rob the middle Tendo of her breath, this time, it was successful.

  


Nabiki felt the pressure on her neck from her sister's hand, she could feel the grain of the pieces of glass press into her neck. Faintly, she saw the visage of a horribly bloody Kasumi kneeling before her.

  


Franticly, she reached around for something she could use in defense.

  


Anything.

  


She remembered the sound of her sister's voice, the smell of her hair. She remembered the smile she often wore while going about her daily business. Both of them were polar opposites, drawn to each other to maintain the balance in the house, but it seems also destined to destroy each other.

  


_She found what she needed._

  


Kasumi had been like a second mother to her and Akane, someone they could always go to. Someone they could trust.

  


But was she ever there for her sister?

  


"I'm so sorry Kasumi." She managed to whisper, a single tear made it's way down her ragged cheek..

  


_She used it._

  


Nabiki Tendo, with one fluid motion pierced her sister's temple with the largest shard of glass on hand. Blood, both from her sister and her own hand flowed freely down her arm to the floor.

  


The creature with Kasumi's face cried out with an inhuman anger and frustration. Sounds and curses no mortal could make escaped those lips before it backed away, clawing at it's wound.

  


And then it shifted a bit, in a way that was hardly noticeable, it changed. A glimmer appeared in it's eyes. More blood flowed from wounds where only ichor came from before. Kasumi's face softened, and her eyes returned to their loving gaze.

  


For a moment, a battered Kasumi Tendo lay bleeding before her sister only to reply"I'm sorry too" before she faded away.

  


Nabiki lay their alone on the floor. Had she the strength, she would cry.

  


*----------*

  


Far away, another demon shifted, shuffled to it's destination.

  


Within meters was the door to the cell his master was locked in, and barely within his grasp, the key.

  


_His?_

  


He had been in that body too long and it was starting to affect him. If he could still feel anything from this form it would be revulsion.

  


Another few stiff steps, and he had reached his goal. All of the work, all of the death, it was all for this moment.

  


The red spring.

  


This was the one linked to his prey, the one bonded to it's soul, the one that would help give his master flesh.

  


He attempted to reach into his back pocket to retrieve the scroll. The arms wouldn't move.

  


"Damn." he grunted.

  


Shifting a bit, his shadow once more began to move. This time it moved further up his body, covering his chest and arms. Blackness upon blackness, as he forced the hand inside his pocket to pull the Endtimes scrolls from his back.

  


_Yes_

  


This is when it would finally get interesting. His form altered again, this time covering the entirety of the boy's body with the exception of the neck and head. Forcefully pulling the scroll up to face level, he began to once more chant in a dead language.

  


The ground shook, and the water in all the pools began to ripple. Their lights faded, and the clouds above separated in the sky, but despite the increase in light, the pool in front of him remained dark. A flash of an image appeared on it's surface, and as suddenly as it had started, the shaking had stopped.

  


Carefully reaching over so as not to disturb the waters, the creature with Gosunkugi's face pulled the bamboo shaft out from the middle of the water. He eyed it again carefully as he examined it with genuine interest. Holding it with both hands at chest level, he swiftly snapped the pole into two jagged pieces.

  


With one piece in each hand, he leaned forward and dropped towards the pool.

  


Each piece pierced his neck, while holding him up just above the spring. The shadow surrounding him retreated from the body into the darkness of the fluid below while blood began to flow down the hollow centers towards the waters.

  


It. Was. Done.


	22. The beginning and end of journeys

Sorry about the delay.

I won't make excuses for why, but I'll do my best to make sure that such delays are avoided in the near future.

  


Thank you all for the last reviews, and to make up for things I'll try to post again within the week.

  


*----------*

  


It seems that the storm outside had calmed down in a mere instant. The stillness had spread out over the valley of the cursed pools and outward towards the surrounding region. The sudden change was not lost to Kiima who now had to compensate for the fact that she was flying into a headwind that had completely dissipated.

  


The motion was almost like tripping in midair, her body suddenly jerked forward while she tried to stop her rapid acceleration.

  


A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. _She was not in the mood for this right now!_

  


Scanning the ground before her, she began her search. What she was searching for was still a mystery, but she had to do something!

  


There were ordinary things, trees, grass, rocks, and though it was seldom, outsiders. They were probably lost, obviously confused by the weather and probably by the lights. Usually she would have to do anything possible to avoid being seen, but she wasn't in the mood to hide from them.

  


There were possibly bigger things to worry about. The phoenix way of life could be at stake for all she knew.

  


"That's the problem isn't it?" She asked herself.

  


What **did** she know about this threat?

  


Nothing, aside from Saffron himself being afraid of it.

  


"Stupid Travelers" Kiima mumbled to herself. "They're headed right towards the Amazon Village"

  


She flew right past them, towards the lights, towards the springs.

  


*----------*

  


It was a long and hard journey. "It took almost two weeks, but it was finally over" the traveler thought to himself.

  


Ryouga finally found himself at the entrance to Akari's farm. He had nowhere else to go, the police were still after him, he was tired, and he **still** forgot to get the groceries. Perhaps with Akari's help he could at least find someone to help him. Lost in thought, he made his way towards the house.

  


Nabiki? Was she still alive?

  


The bandanna-clad boy knew nothing of medicine, he would have been of no further assistance to her. Not knowing still bothered him though. She was almost like a friend to him, a devious, conniving friend, but there had been many times in the past where he could see through her icy shell. She was much more of a caring person than she was willing to let on.

  


She was going to live. Nabiki would survive. He couldn't quite explain how he knew it, but he just did.

  


So why would anyone want to kill her?

  


Wait.... 

dumb question.

  


More importantly, who would want to kill her?

  


The few people who **really** hated her feared her much more.

  


His thoughts kept coming back to Kasumi. That thought made the bile rise in the back of his throat

  


Somehow.

  


Somehow he knew that he was right.

  


Making his way through the front door of Akari's house he wandered inside thinking blasphemous thoughts about a saint.

  


*----------*

  


Ranma found it odd for a phoenix to be flying out in the open, much more in weather like this. Or, he should correct himself, weather like it was just a moment ago. It had changed so suddenly he didn't notice it. Part of his training was to be aware of as much as possible, it was unsettling to not notice something as obvious as the weather.

  


He would hate to admit it to the others, but he was scared.

  


If he told Akane, she'd probably find some insensitive way to tease him about it, if he told Shampoo...

  


...He didn't feel too comfortable in telling her that sort of thing.

  


Ranma shook his head a bit, his hair smacking his back as he did, _he was thinking too much lately_.

  


Less than a kilometer up ahead, they would find Shampoo's village. All he had to do was act quiet and respectful, nod when spoken to, and avoid fighting at all costs. His purple-haired companion should take care of the rest.

  


She walked a few steps in front of him, leading the way, while Akane walked just behind her, attempting to cheer her newfound friend up.

  


Shampoo held a grim look upon her face as she walked, no, trudged towards home. Ranma could see it in her body language. Shampoo was afraid of returning to her people. What would they do to her for this?

  


He almost felt guilt. She would suffer simply because he wouldn't marry her.

Why did she have to pay for her people's stupid customs? She was a friend of his.

Sure, they had gotten off to a bad start when she thought she had to kill him.

Sure, it was kind of difficult when she wanted to marry him, but she had been his ally so many time.

  


**Damn it!**

  


Why is it everyone in his life had to suffer for him?

  


Ukyo! Ryouga? Shampoo! Mousse! The poor old bat...

even the filthy lecher!

  


All because of him in some way or another. He was some kind of disaster magnet.

  


He almost welcomed his death, if not for the fact that others would suffer for that too.

  


*----------*

  


Nabiki woke again for the second time that day in the hospital. This time another Kuno was sitting at the side of her bed.

  


"Ko... Kodachi" she managed to cough out.

  


"Shhhhh" her visitor responded. "Obviously whoever was after your life was not that urchin Hibiki."

  


Nabiki looked back upon Kodachi's face. The gymnast had been crying, fresh tears ran down her cheeks and settled at her chin.

  


"Do you know who was after you Nabiki?" Kodachi Kuno asked.

  


Nabiki simply nodded.

  


"My brother was mumbling something until he lost consciousness..." Nabiki's guest trailed off "was it... was it Kasumi?"

  


Nabiki nodded again.

  


"How could this be?" Kodachi asked, though it seemed more like she was thinking aloud. "Would you believe me if I said I saw you kill her..." A sob escaped her "...perhaps my brother's talk of magic and sorcery was not all madness."

  


Nabiki tried to answer her, tried to make some kind of response. Kodachi placed a surprisingly gentle finger to her mouth.

  


"You should rest, your recovery will be a long and perilous journey." The Kuno girl said as she slowly made her way to the door.

  


"...and all this time I thought it was the drugs that made me see things..." Nabiki heard as her visitor finally left the room.

  


Left her alone.

  


There was no way she could rest until she rescued her little sister from whatever danger **that thing** placed her in... no rest until she had avenged her sister's death.

  


Right now though, she wouldn't be able to do either until she had managed to recover somewhat.

  


*----------*

  


Kodachi Kuno silently wept as she made the long passage down the hall towards the room her bother had been placed in. She would have to make sure that the middle (or now eldest) Tendo sister received the best treatment as a guest of the Kuno family. There was also the matter of assuring the quick and timely recovery of her older brother.

  


She should also call the police off that Hibiki man... she had connections within the city that would make Nabiki envious. There was no need for proof as of yet, she was certain that he had nothing to do with either of Nabiki's attacks, and with her brother as a witness, the police would be too busy searching after a missing Kasumi Tendo.

  


Somehow she knew that these were not the last things that she would do to help the Tendo's. Tatewaki would insist that whatever Nabiki would be tended to.

  


Even though Kodachi Kuno, the Black Rose, was unsure of where this would lead her, she knew that she would have an important part to play.

  


This was something she had to do. Something she would do. Without knowing why, without knowing the stakes, she pledged her support until this mystery was solved.

  


As Tatewaki had said before, as a noble family it was their duty to combat the demons and black magics.


	23. Something wrong

Ok, so this is a short one. Yeah I know, you want longer chapters.

  


Truth be told, my computer came back to life a while ago and then died again recently. While it was working, I began to write my chapters on it instead of everything else. When it died it took the chapter that was originally going to be the last one with it.

  


Been looking for a new one to use, but I never got that good job that I wanted.

  


Oh yeah, there are only two characters that I own (so far) but I'm not greedy. So if you want to use them (or their names) in another story, help yourself just don't claim credit for them.

  


*----------*

  


So Pei looked out from her window towards the sky. Like most other Amazon warriors, most of her time was spent training. It was a pretty silly thing to do, she thought, since nobody had the courage to stand up to them.

  


They had proven strong enough that they had attracted the attention of the PRC in the past. Since they had no intention of expanding their borders, Beijing decided that the best thing to do was ignore them. The Amazon's were not a threat, and the PRC did not want to attract unwanted attention with military action.

  


The young girl leaned out a little further and took in a deep breath of air. It was the middle of the day, and the only reason that she was inside now instead of training was at the insistance of her grandmother. This elder, younger only to Ku Lon was pushing her to exercise her mind and better control her ki.

  


While Ku Lon's family did have a great control of ki, their primary skills involved potions and medicines. So Pei's family concentrated more on the spirit and ki, placing herbs and cooking as lower priorities. All of the Amazon clans focused on physical strength, and in a one-on-one match, their skills and specialties were not strong enough to set them apart. Their real strength came when the clans came together in battle, complimenting each other's skills.

  


Ku Lon had been missing for quite some time now, she had gone off with her great-granddaughter to the east in search of a powerful male to bring into the tribe. This was another thing that irked the chinese, but it was so infrequent that it too was ignored.

  


It really was a shame though, Xian Pu was the reining champion at the last competition and So Pei had greatly wished to challenge her again.

  


She reached out her senses and began to take in the world around her. Even the most basic ki training stressed such exercises, but it was often a relaxing thing to do. Normal things were brought to her attention, the trees, the animals, the people around her, but there was something _odd_ beyond the village.

  


There were some people approaching, but the big thing she noticed was at the springs. Something was very wrong near Jusenkyo.

  


It was a powerful source of energy, but then again not.

It was as if there was a ki void sucking the life out of the surrounding area, but such things were not possible.

  


Were they?

  


*----------*

  


Ranma reached the end of the path and shuddered.

  


This was a place where many of his troubles started.

  


The Amazon village.

  


It seemed karma was destined to pull him here at least once or twice. Coupled with his curse, these people had given him a great respect for women, something his father would have otherwise discouraged. These people were quite the opposite from what his father had taught him, come to think of that, so was his mother.

  


Maybe Genma had some female issues that needed to be addressed.

Did Tofu know psichiatry as well?

  


He followed Shampoo, who had fallen eerily silent for the last kilometer or two up road towards the village square. A few younger girls seemed to be cheering her on (perhaps they thought that she 'bagged' her man after all) but Shampoo's face remained grim. A few ladies about his age eyed him thoughtfully and then looked on Akane with curiosity.

  


He was sure that they were probably thinking 'why did she bring the girl too?' and if he could understand their dialect, he would have definiately been confirmed.

  


Akane also fell silent, perhaps she felt uncomfortable by the earlier light show, or perhaps because of their guide's sudden change in attitude, perhaps both.

  


He'd still never understand women.

  


He was just glad (especially with his curse) that he didn't react the same way as he did with cats.

  


Then again, however there were those few (ok, not so few) times that his female 'impressions' came in handy. Nobody would ever know, but it was kind of fun for him. It was especially enjoyable when he got more attention than Akane. Sure, he wasn't out for that sort of attention, but she's sooooo cute when she's mad.

  


Shampoo walked up to a large pole in the middle of the square. At the top was a brass bell with a chain underneath it. Ringing the bell she began to cry something that he couldn't understand and a small crowd gathered around them.

  


*----------*

  


The announcement bell was rung.

  


Xian Pu almost wanted to cry, but she would not show weakness now. This was a request made by a dead elder and she would honor it no matter what punishment she may receive.

  


The other warriors, men, and children began to surround her group, eager to see what had happened. The men were probably interested in knowing who these new people were, the women in whether or not they were a threat, and the children most likely wanted to see if the old tournament champion was a match for the new one that arose since her absence. Soon the elders made their way towards her, and the throng of people made way so that they could walk (or hobble) towards her to see her announcement.

  


"Well child..." a wrinkled face said from below "What do you wish to declare?"

  


Which wrinkled face said that, she couldn't tell, there were the four elders, representing four out of the five major houses and doctrines in Amazon life. Behind the old ladies stood their trainees. Like herself, these girls had devoted their lives into learning every bit of knowledge that their elders possesed.

  


A grimace made it's way across her face.

_This was so hard_.

_Why did she have to do this?_

Because your great-grandmother requested this before her death she reasoned with herself.

  


Xian Pu raised her head and shouted.

  


"Elder Ku Lon is dead!"


	24. Pretrial

Sorry for another delay, this time it was less of a technical nature, and more of a severe case of being too busy.

I introduce a few more amazon names into the mix today, so please use them if you're unable to think of something that could be confused with a beauty product.

*----------*

A collective gasp made it's way throughout the Amazon square. Murmurs and whispers passed through the atmosphere in a constant rasp like waves against the shore. Thoughts went through the minds of the villagers, saddened thoughts, angry thoughts, and questions filled their lips. The chaos was soon ended by the same short woman who first inquired Xian Pu.

"Silence!" The sound was quite remarkable, such a small old woman could make such a loud declaration. "We shall see what Xian Pu's story is at the village hall." then looking back at the foreigners in their midst "You may bring your husband and this other girl as well, if you wish."

"Ranma is not my husband" Xian Pu croaked "Ranma is taken by Akane, at Ku Lon's request I will not pursue him"

The Amazon elder seemed stunned, why would Ku Lon set such an obviously fine specimen off limits? Even when honor demanded it? "and what of Mu Tsu child?"

"Mu Tsu is dead as well"

"Then it seems we have much more to discuss."

Murmuring went through the crowd like wildfire. Too many voices were saying too many things for it to make any sense at all, but she didn't need to understand them to feel its effect. There were too many emotions to deal with. Sadness, Remorse, Anger, even a little bit of happiness from her friends, but mostly a dishonorable emotion.

**Fear.**

Facing her peers in such a manner. Her elder was dead, leaving her family without a representative, a leader, or teacher. There was no husband for her to claim, not even Mu Tsu anymore. Two of her villagers had died while with her in Japan.

Xian Pu looked down on the ground, the shame in her eyes was unmistakable. The surrounding Amazons began to cry out things. Whether or not you could understand their language, it was easy to make out.

Accusations

Condolences

Questions and demands

The purple haired warrior looked up at the mess that stood before her and at her friends, who obviously had no idea what was happening. The scene was quite frightening to Akane, who had absolutely no idea what was going on, or even what her companion just said. Xian Pu could see that, but could not explain it to her friend now. Ranma was at least a little more clued in to what was going on (for once) and looked back at her with a solemn face.

"One hour!" The elder shouted towards the crowd "Only the top ranking warriors and the elders will be allowed!" then switching to a lower tone of voice and perfect Japanese "You however" The old crone motioned towards Ranma and Akane "will of course be allowed to come, we can't have a trial without witnesses can we?"

The two Japanese martial artists merely stood there, amazed by the speed of such a decision, their companion merely grabbed their arms and guided them towards a hut in the back of the town.

The elders hobbled off in their separate ways, their students closely following. Questions were asked, answers were given, and a lesson in Amazon law was now scheduled for today.

*----------*

"Shampoo, what just happened?" Ranma said

"Shampoo..." she started "...Shampoo give much dishonor to tribe, give much dishonor to family." it all came out as sobs.

"but none of this is your fault Shampoo" Akane stated. She had just made a friend of a former enemy, and she'd be damned if she didn't help.

"Law not care about specifics or excuses. Law is law." Tears filled Shampoo's eyes "was what great-grandmother always taught me since little girl." The purple-clad Amazon motioned towards the hut in front of them, smiling slightly from her memories. "Come inside, Shampoo's home may be dirty from no use but make comfortable."

Stepping through the door, the two Japanese guests and their hostess found themselves in a near replica of the Nekohanten storeroom. The lighting was dimmer and there was a considerable amount of dust, but it was something familiar to them.

Or at least it should have been.

"Why does this place make me think of food?" Ranma asked, stomach loudly agreeing.

"baka" Akane whispered almost reflexively while pushing her fist into his skull "It's the same as the back of the Nekohanten."

"Great-grandmother and I felt homesick. So we bring home to Japan." Shampoo stated, taking in a deep breath and feeling her surroundings. "Sound silly, but even if restaurant look like home, this still home to me"

"Actually..." Ranma was cut off by a glare from his fiance that could kill a lesser man.

"Please find seat" Shampoo smiled back at them "Shampoo go find food in village."

"Maybe I could help you Shampoo" her new friend offered.

"No, thank you. Akane and food always on bad terms." she jested, and was rewarded with a bawling Saotome being beaten alive.

Walking out the door, she made her way out onto unfriendly streets. Merely shadows of what she saw before she left. Was this really home anymore? Or were her memories the only home she had left?

After counting the money in her hand it finally dawned on her that there was no way, someone would accept Yen.

_Now what was she to do?_

Sighing, she continued her way towards the market. Perhaps there was someone who would be kind enough to take credit from a potential exile.

*----------*

In their temporary lodgings, the two successors to Happosai's art discussed the situation.

"What do you think is happing Ranma?" Akane asked with worry in her voice.

"Don't know Akane. Don't know" Ranma mumbled, though he did have an inkling of what was to come.

All that talk of honor from his old man, from Happosai, and from Cologne, did it really mean nothing?

He had to suffer for honor.

Shampoo has to suffer now.

Ukyo, and Ukyo disappeared shortly after the wedding. For all he knew she was dead.

The only good thing honor ever gave him was Akane, and for a year, he doubted how good that was.

"...worried about her Ranma" Akane continued

"Me too Akane-chan, me too" he instinctively replied "but Shampoo is a strong person, and she'll get by"

***POW*** a hard fist collided with a now softened skull.

"Were you even paying attention baka? I was talking about Kasumi"

"Kashumi, why?" Ranma rubbed his face at the site of impact.

"She was starting to act a little stressed, a little different recently."

"You noticed that too." Sure, she didn't act **too** different, but sometimes he could be perceptive enough. "It's nothing though. Just look at how things have been lately though. The incident at the house with Cologne and Happosai, Nabiki being injured, who wouldn't be stressed from that?"

"I guess..."

At this time, their hostess returned with what appeared to be a tray of various vegetables and a bag of rice.

"Shampoo apologies, but have very little money with her" her voice was both a mixture of sadness, shame, and embarrassment. "after meal, Shampoo take you to village hall, meet elders..." she trailed off, no longer wanting to think about it.

*----------*

As Ranma, Akane, and Shampoo entered the village hall, they passed guards at both sides of the door. Inside was a single room, no bigger than the classrooms at school, though only benches occupied the space. In the front of the room, a large table with four women at various stages of age, but much older than the rest of the village sat with a stern look in their faces.

The one on the far right, who had greeted them earlier in the square, appeared to be close to Cologne's age and size. As they came closer, she stood up on her stool and greeted them in Japanese.

"Hello, Warrior Xian Pu." she made a gesture with her hand as she spoke.

"Hello, Elder Lao Shen" Shampoo trembled

"Would you like to introduce me to our new guests?"

"This is Tendo Akane, heir to her school's house of martial arts, and this is Saotome Ranma, heir to his school's house."

"Greetings guests, was I correct earlier when I assumed you to be Japanese?"

"Yes" they politely responded (both with a tinge of nervousness in their voices)

"Good. We will conduct this trial in the native tongue of our guests so that they may be aware of what is going on. Two of my fellow elders are unable to speak this language so please do not consider us rude if we speak when you do. On my honor I will truthfully translate what you speak."

A younger elder on the far left, who could not have been much older than Ranma's mother, stood up as well. "Hello guests, I am Wa Kes and on my honor I will also speak exactly what you say"

The middle ladies stood and out of respect stated their names.

"Wa She"

"Ai Von"

"Warrior Xian Pu, please approach us so we may question you" Lao Shen ordered

*----------*


	25. Masks Fall

Nabiki was really getting tired of waking up in pain.

At least there wasn't anything left after her. Was there?

She got up with a groan, and found herself in a room much like the one she woke up in earlier today. That was today wasn't it?

Kasumi was pounding her... beating the life out of her slowly...

Kuno saved her.

Why?

After all the times that she manipulated him, all the times she had tricked him out of his money.

She needed his help again. Akane needed his help.

Nabiki shook the daze out of her head. She had to think clearly, had to concentrate. Turning her head over, she spotted another iv attached to her arm. Not caring what drug or fluid was in it at the time, she gingerly pulled the needle from her wrist.

Her body was covered with bandages and bruises, pain shot through her as she moved, but she had to find him.

She felt so light headed.

Taking a step out of bed, she stood up and collapsed on the floor. Covered with sweat and panting from the exertion, she focused on making the dizziness in her head go away. Taking a position on all fours like a baby, she crawled towards the door.

Akane needed her. Kasumi had sent her away.

A vision of her older sister, holding her in a hug and merely centimeters away from her face filled her vision. The ethereal voice of the memory echoed through her mind.

"I sent her where she needs to be"

Had to get Kuno, had to get help.

China.

Akane needs her.

Her situation finally got the best of her and she collapsed once more on the floor. There was just no energy left in her body, hardly any blood in her veins, and nothing left but despair.

What good was money without your family?

Family.

Ever since the first attacks with Happosai, and herself, family meant so much more to her. She had even threatened Ranma out of concern.

Was this really what she cared about more?

Was this really more important than money?

Yes.

*----------*

Kodachi Kuno looked on at the sleeping form of her brother. There was very little love in her family, they were too important for each other. This 'noble family' bullshit was really starting to drive her nuts.

Tatewaki believing he was some honorable samurai only aggravated things. Everybody had expected her to be crazy too. After all, madness usually runs in the family. Her father believed that he was hawaiian and her brother would not leave his fantasies either.

So the Black Rose was born.

At first it made her feel a little better, people expected her to be weird, so she was. She even started playing with it a little, the traps, the drugs, walking around everywhere in her leotard.

All of this left her...

hollow, she was empty inside. The mask was removed, but who was behind it?

Kodachi hardly recognized this girl. She had left her for dead long ago, but there she was. A broken girl, a lonely fragment of herself stared back at her through the looking glass of her mind.

Getting up, she left the room. She would check on her other charge, Nabiki was in worse shape than her brother anyways.

Nabiki had just lost her mask too...

and her family.

Nabiki was lucky, she had a family that loved her...

but she had lost it.

Was she really luckier then?

It had been so long since she had cared for others. She was helping Nabiki. She was, helping her brother.

This facade was over! She wasn't a maniac, she wasn't crazy, she was just lonely.

Things had to change! She had to change!

Somewhere in her garden, a black rose wilted.

*----------*

Ryouga had spent his time at Akari's thinking.

What was happening now?

Was he a part of it?

Yes.

Whether or not he wanted it, he was a part. He had gotten involved when he saved Nabiki, and when he had fled the police.

He had to help.

There was no turning back now.

Once more, he would rush headlong into battle. How was this different from always?

It was, _wasn't it?_

Surely he wasn't slipping back to his old ways. The thought of just shouting at someone and attacking from out of the blue just didn't feel right anymore. This was different, he was out to save someone, not vengeance.

There had to be more to him than vengeance, but it was all he had known.

What else was there to him?

Could he do anything else with his life?

Yes.

He had already proven this, already started his change, and now he had to finish it.

He was going to find Nabiki.

He was going to help her.

As soon as Akari got home.

*----------*

Nabiki wished she was Ranma for a moment.

Not that she wanted the asshole father, the myriads of fiances, the gender-bending curse, or the kind of life those things tend to bring with them.

The one thing he had going for him was his inability to stay down.

_That's what she wanted right now!_

"Ugh" A grunt passed through her body without her noticing.

The dizziness and weakness from the lack of blood was too much of an inconvenience for her right now, but she couldn't stop. Kasumi was up to something, she was sure of that, and Nabiki had to do something before it was too late.

_But how late was it?_

With all of the confusion that had been going on right now, she wasn't even aware of the day, much less how long her sister and company had been gone.

"Damn that thing!" She whispered through gritted teeth,t hat thing with Kasumi's face had kept her occupied.

_Perhaps that was it's purpose_, she reasoned with herself.

This was unimportant at the moment. She had to get to Akane, she had to get to Ranma before whatever happens... happens.

Crawling on all fours like a baby, she inched out of the door and into the hospital hallway. Hospital staff rushed towards her, yelling something about her not being in her bed. _To hell with them_. One of the voices sounded familiar...

"Kodachi... Kodachi help." the once proud con-artist practically cried with those words.

The Kuno sister responded by gingerly helping her to her feet, holding her body up. With her arm firmly about the gymnast's shoulder, she finally got a verbal reply.

"You should be resting Nabiki" the Kuno girl chastised her 'guest'

"help... they need my help... I need help"

"Who needs your help?"

"Ranma and Akane, I have to help them, they're in trouble"

"Where are they Nabiki? Why are they in trouble?" the concern was not lost in Kodachi's voice.

"China, they're in China" she choked "Ranma killed a god there"

"If Ranma could kill a god..." The thought was almost unimaginable "then he can probably take care of himself"

"**NO** Ranma's gonna die! They're all going to die!"

*----------*


	26. Verdicts and Barricades

"... and we the honored elders of the tribe find you guilty..." Lao Shen motioned towards Shampoo's shocked form.

Despite both Ranma and Akane's best efforts to defend her, Shampoo was still found guilty of disgracing the tribe. Not only had her quest to kill/marry Ranma failed, but she had deliberately misused Amazon techniques to cheat her way into his heart. She had allowed the death of an elder, and a defenseless (relatively speaking) man. Shampoo could only plead no contest to these charges and the rest of the elders began their assault on her honor.

For the first time seen by the eyes of her Japanese friends, Shampoo let loose tears of desperation.

For the first time, they had seen her surrender.

The trial was over.

"...and you are to be banished from the tribe so as to seek your own path in life..." the elder continued.

_They had come all this way only to be cast out again?_

Akane gritted her teeth and let loose an aura that Ranma was all too familiar with. "What about the reason she brought us here in the first place! Does this count for nothing!" Akane vented in her trademark shout.

"Patience child..." Lao shen continued in a 'sweet little granny' kind of voice "...you are guests here, and I must ask that you mind your manners as some of the other elders do not take too kindly to outsiders as Ku Lon and I."

Three glares from behind the leading elder silently screamed "no shit".

"...and if I may continue?" Lao Shen resumed the authoritative tone in her voice "However, there are **unique circumstances** involving recent developments" she motioned towards Ranma "and to cast out a member of the tribe when it seems that all of our warriors would soon be needed is a tactical mistake."

Hope entered Shampoo's face for a moment.

"Therefore, it is the decision that you Xian Pu will be stripped of all of your title and rank, and that you must rebuild your honor on your own."

Hope once more crashed down into the depths of the purple-haired warrior's stomach.

"It seems that you took a long enough time in arriving..." Fear entered the elders voice "...had you made it to the village sooner, we might have been able to prepare some sort of defenses or some additional training..." she wandered off for a moment "...but by our calendar, tonight is the night. Why Ku Lon would bring it's prey to us instead of driving it as far away is possible is beyond my understanding, but I respect her intellect and her memory enough to honor this wish." A nod of agreement went through the other elders as she said this statement.

"How bad is this gonna be?" Ranma managed to meekly make out.

*----------*

Despite her genuine interest in the trial unfolding, So Pei could not concentrate. As a trainee, it was her job to observe her house's elder to learn from them, and to obey orders so that she may be molded into someone suitable to help lead the tribe. Her assignment, which both pleased and annoyed her, was to act as one of the guards at the village hall.

Up until recently, the tall green haired woman, had been listening in on the proceedings of the most sensational trial her village had had in many years. Xian Pu was one of the greatest warriors in recent history, her name was known by every small child as a model woman and great warrior. These were many fine reasons to listen in, but the most important one to So Pei was much more petty.

For the past three years, Xian Pu was reigning champion, and were it not for her suffering an injury in the last competition they met, she would have been the one fighting that brute when that foreign girl and her pet had eaten the prize.

Something aside from the fall of the Amazon's greatest warrior of this generation was amiss. Her deep training in ki sensing had allowed her to pick up the somber energy coming from inside the hall, not something out of the ordinary she figured, but something stronger. She sensed fear, not just from Xian Pu, but fear from all of the elders and from the foreigners as well.

Could this be related to that light show earlier?

To that strange thing that she felt at the fringe of her senses towards the pools?

A powerful nothing... A hole in life itself...

...and it was growing.

Her thoughts were quickly put back away when the doors to the village hall were slammed open. A frantic elder council began barking orders at everyone in the street. The only phrases she could make out in her haze were 'take up arms' and 'seek shelter'.

Wa She simply ran up to her and yelled incoherently into her face about preparing for nightfall.

*----------*

Kiima simply stared out at what she had found at the pools. As a warrior, this was not the first time she had seen a dead body, even one that has had such a particular wound. This was different somehow, unnatural if any word best fit, there were no animals nearby. One should expect something, a scavenger, insects, _something_!

Even in the midst of death, there was usually some evidence of life. The body was ragged and torn, giving it the illusion of being very old, but the weak trickle of blood that still flowed into the pool indicated otherwise. The feathers on her back began to stand on end.

Irrationally, she couldn't quite explain these feelings, feelings she was taught to ignore in her training.

She had the utmost desire to leave.

To flee.

The sun was beginning to set, adding to the eerie effect of the scene in front of her.

It was too sterile for death.

As much as her rational thought fought for control, she allowed her instincts to guide her. Too terrified to even think about flying, she made her way towards home as fast as her feet would carry her. She didn't even think that she would have to pass through the Amazon village.

*----------*

Just outside the Village, a ring of the most powerful Amazon warriors surrounded the body of one Ranma Saotome. Standing just outside and feeling out of place, Shampoo and Akane stared as the women formed a defensive line around his body.

"Listen up women..." Lao Shen began in their native toungue "...If this creature manages to kill this Ranma before the night is over, a dangerous prophesy will be completed. The writings on the sacred endtime scrolls may come true. It may come in any form, but we must not allow it to harm this man."

"Hey!" Ranma interjected "I can take care of myself"

"Can you? Getting a little cocky from defeating Saffron? You fought him at less than half his strength and Ah rin is much more powerful." she leveled with him "According to the legends, it took Saffron, the ancestors of the Phoenix, and our ancestors to defeat him."

"Xian Pu! Foreign woman!" Wa Kes shouted "You have no place here! Go hide with men and children!"

"Guard the children!" Lao Shen issued a new command.

Lao Shen continued her original speech "Long before the peoples that exist now lived, the Shadow God Ah rin created Jusenkyo and used that power to nearly destroy the world until our honored ancestors helped fight him off. It is therefore our duty and birthright to assist in once more fighting off this evil. Should we repel the Shadow God until daybreak, we will break the prophesy."

*----------*

A dejected Shampoo and an angry Akane made their way towards the makeshift shelter for those who could not participate in the fighting. The Village hall was emptied out and filled with frightened men and children. The bravest of the little girls played with toy weapons and prepared with grim determination to fend of any of the monsters that came their way.

Families huddled up to their fathers and small babies cried for their mothers to return to them. Tensions ran high and a deep and foreboding sadness permeated the air. Angry looks crossed Shampoo's way as she made her way towards a bare spot on the floor and prepared to wait out the evening.

"Why are you not out with the others?" a small girl, no older than six asked her idol.

"I was ordered to remain her with you" The former warrior responded

"Come away from the disgraced one dear" a rather domestic looking man guided his young daughter away from her by the hand.

Akane felt terrible for the treatment the other people were giving her friend and could not stand to bear witnessing it any longer. The warning from the elders earlier was the only thing that gave her a good reason to keep her anger in check. Looking out the window towards the west, she spotted the sun just as it disappeared behind the mountains and prayed that Ranma would live.

*----------*

As the last rays of the sun left the body of Ah rin's sacrifice, the flesh began to melt into the pool like hot wax. The resulting mixture of fluid, flesh, blood, and shadow, began to take form.


	27. Preparations to be made

Yeah, long time, no write, I know, I know.

I've been a bit busy with work and well, to be completely honest, under so much stress that writing has taken up a much smaller priority. This chapter is a bit small, but only because I halfway wrote myself into a corner.

A friend of mine who is also a writer (but for reasons that are his own implores me not to tell you who) has set up a writers website and has been asking for a plug. I promised him that I would mention it in my next chapter. **Ha** I haven't even written notes in my last few chapters!.

Anyways, he's got some big issue with plagiarists (and probably didn't hear of PPP), but anyways visit it at www.camp-iht.org

*----------*

"Please! Please! You can't let them die!" Nabiki Tendo screamed as she fought against the restraints the doctors had placed on her hands and feet after her earlier outburst.

"**Please!**" She screamed as loud as her feeble body could muster.

"please... they're gonna die..." a desperate whisper crossed her lips.

"Who?" a deep gravel-filled voice asked from beyond her vision.

"Ranma and Akane, they're gonna die. You have to help me."

"100,000 yen"

"What?"

"100,000 yen"

"Yes! Whatever! Anything! Just please let me loose!"

Without much delay, she found her bonds had been cut free. She rose slowly as to avoid becoming dizzy again rubbing her wrists where the bonds were. Noticing a _third_ needle in her arm, she slowly pulled it out, getting awfully tired of being a human pincushion.

"Anything..." the hoarse voice from behind her whispered "...Perhaps you will date with me..."

Nabiki snapped her head around and instantly regretted it, but she managed to make out a bruised and bandaged Kuno. He smiled back at her and held out his hand so as to catch her as she wobbled from the sudden dizziness.

"I think I'll just stick with the 100,000 yen for now." she croaked out with a similar smile on her face. "What happened to your voice?"

"One of that creature's blows struck my larynx, though hopefully the effects shall weaken with time."

He steadied her to her feet and kept his hand near her body as she shaked her self towards the door.

"You have to help me..."

"I shall, but first, inform me as to the situation."

"China, they went to China again..."

"Who did Nabiki?"

"Ranma and Akane..."

"What's in China?"

"Whatever got to Kasumi..."

*----------*

"To my dearest Akari,

I do not know what to say here. In the past few days I've seen things I never would have imagined. Horrors in this world and horrors in myself.

Should the police come looking for me please believe that I am innocent. I found Nabiki injured and went looking for help. Please trust me in this. She apparently isn't the only one who was attacked recently. Something is happening to the people I know and I have to help before more people are hurt.

I would have waited for you to return home to tell you in person, but that will sadly not be the case. I suddenly had this unexplainable urge to leave, as if I may miss something important.

So I have to go, to clear my name, and help my friends. Please forgive me for not staying, and please please take care of yourself until I return.

Hibiki Ryouga.

"

Ryouga gently placed the note down on the counter as he made his way towards the door. He wanted to wait for her, but something told him that his window of opportunity was going to close.

As he made his way outside the house he noted that the despite the weather outside the door was cold.

A large boar greeted him outside.

"Take care of her Katsunhiki" he patted the boar on the head as he passed it.

*----------*

After leaving the hospital, both Kunos and Nabiki went to the Kuno mansion to discuss their plans. They found themselves in the grand hall going from what was originally a logical and sound conversation to a loud argument.

"You're nuts!" Kodachi screamed

"This coming from you?" Nabiki snarled

"It is my right to grant her this request dear sister." Tatewaki grumbled

"You plan on taking a private jet to China, a communist country, suddenly without any warning and without knowing exactly how much fuel you'll need?" the gymnast asked without even wanting to know the answers.

"Yes" her opponents replied in unison.

"Please, you have to let us try, if we don't Ranma and Akane are as good as dead." Begging was no longer below the former con artist.

"Fine." An exasperated sigh passed her lips "... but I must go with you, after all you are still not healed and are in my care."

"Sasuke!" both Kunos shouted.

"Yes masters" a voice above them replied.

Following their eyes to the source of the sound, they finally noticed the small ninja hiding in the rafters.

"Prepare the jet" Kuno made what meant for a dramatic movement with his arms "tonight we fly"

*----------*

"Prepare yourselves!" Lao Shen warned "Can't you feel it coming?"

Ranma was overwhelmed with a feeling of _wrong_ approaching them. It felt massive beyond anything he had ever felt before, but it didn't feel alive. Dead things don't have ki, and living things don't feel like this.

"What the hell" he whispered as a cold wind passed over him and that _wrong _feeling covered everything around them.

It was everywhere as far as he could sense like a dense fog. The only energy he could feel was this abomination, and though he could see the amazons in front of him, they were simply outpowered. Attempting to feel anything else was like trying to smell a single rose in a room full of skunks.

Concerned noises passed through the throughts of the warriors around him. _They were aware of it too_.

"Warriors! Keep your guards up!"

The crowd whispered under their breath. 'Where is it?'

More whimpers.

This was wrong. An ambush? Psychological torture?

The Amazon warriors and Ranma stood ready for an attacker who could come from any direction at any time.

*----------*


	28. Frigus

First off I'd like to respond to my last two reviews.

MadmanDarkHeretic, hmmm, you don't seem to like it.Tough Shit. You either don't like my story, style, or something else. I could care less, but to go on about how much _I _suck while hiding behind an anonymous review is a cowards tactic. Come back later when you can be a little more constructive/specific, or your testicles descend, whichever comes first.

Chaos Horse. Sorry if there are bits that mislead you. To be honest when I wrote that part I wasn't thinking about the fact that Nabiki had invited the Amazons. I was a little fixated on transforming her to a more 'family-oriented' character. As for the love bit, no, hitting wasn't a sign of affection, the fact that Ranma wasn't sent into LEO was.

*----------*

Within the huddled masses of frightened Amazon children and men a former and current fiance sat looking out the window towards the distance. Somewhere out there someone they cared for was very likely fighting for his life.

"Shit!" Shampoo muttered

"What is it?" Akane asked

"Can't you feel it?" the Amazon whispered "That feeling of _nothing._"

Nausea came over her as the feeling finally sunk in.

This was it.

It was here.

Children began to cry and fathers rushed to comfort them. The girls who were earlier playing with swords had decided to make a tactical retreat to their fathers sides.

"It's everywhere!" Shampoo whispered

A nod from the women was signal enough for all the men to take up a ready position. Though they didn't anticipate being a target there was nothing wrong with being prepared.

"Shampoo, Tell me about this thing. What are we facing?"

"Not know whole story, only pieces. Ah rin was god of Shadows. Shadows conquer whole world until Saffron, phoenix and Amazon ancestors fight back."

"What does this have to do with Jusenkyo and Ranma"

"Jusenkyo was site of first massacre by shadow god, and site of his defeat. Blood and magic of all that death mark valley ground."

"and Ranma?"

"Before Ah rin fall, he knew it would happen. Wrote prophesy of his own defeat and his return to destroy all ancestors of those who fought him. Prophesy say if one who defeats Saffron falls, fifty days later, Ah rin is free to return."

"Ranma..."

"Perhaps stubborness and grandmother's training is bad mix. Yes?"

"A god..."

"Akane should worry less. Ranma fight god before and win." There was some worry in her voice but her face never showed it.

Outside a cold wind blew across the valley, chilling those who waited for the inevitable.

*----------*

"Dammit! When's this thing supposed to get here?" An exasperated (and slightly chilled) Ranma exclaimed.

"Quiet outsider." Wa She instructed "Distraction is not a luxury we can afford"

Another cold breeze swept through the crowd causing involuntary shudders and gasps. Though it shouldn't have been this cold, Ranma could swear that he could see his breath.

"I guess I should count myself lucky that I didn't get splashed with any cold water before. _Then that would be a distraction_."

"How lewd" a remark came from the crowd of women that had surrounded him.

"Though we know that Ku Lon had trained you in fighting, I'm certainly surprised that she didn't attempt to teach you manners." Lao Shen muttered.

"Nah, she tried" he snorted. "It's just sorta a habit."

"I see then. Perhaps if you survive I could finish what she started" The elder crinkled her brow.

"You can try. It's not like I'm planning on going anywhere anytime soon." he responded with a cocky grin.

"Quiet!" Wa She grumbled. "There still is the matter at hand to attend to"

Ranma snorted and focused, trying to see beyond the ki smokescreen that covered his senses in every direction.

"Only a few more hours women, then we can all go home!" Wa She shouted "...and try to be a bit more quiet could you man?"

_This outta be fun_.

*----------*

Kiima ran as fast as her feet could carry her, which to a creature used to flight, wasn't very fast. She still hadn't regained complete control of her faculties and the thought of flight still eluded her panicked brain. The only thing that she could focus on was fleeing that accursed scene.

The unnatural death.

The cleanliness of it all.

She should be sick. What she saw would traumatise even the most steeled individual, but there was something missing from what she saw. It was filled with nothing.

Nothing.

There is life even in death, but not here.

There was a corpse but no scavengers.

It was aged and weathered but fresh blood still poured from its wounds.

"What the hell is going on here?" The phoenix girl screamed.

The wind screamed back, it's cold tendrils burned her skin as it chilled her to the bone. The sudden chill in the air slowed her running, but not by much. Without her knowledge, her teeth chattered and her body convulsed. It was so warm earlier today.

"Run" she whispered to herself. "I gotta run"

She didn't even notice that she had entered the borders of the Amazon village and past the village hall.

*----------*

"What the hell?" Akane screamed as something ran past the window.

"Shit!" Shampoo jumped at the sudden noise and leapt into her former rival's arms. "Don't scare Shampoo like that!"

"Something just rushed past the window..." Ranma's fiance started "...I think it was a girl."

"Is trick?" The amazon asked

"I don't think so Shampoo" Akane then started towards the door "Stay here and wait for me"

A sudden chill filled the room when Akane opened the door causing more children to cry and their fathers to hold them closer to their robes.

"Violent girl no go out in dangerous time without Shampoo to help!" The purple-haired warrior shouted as she followed her friend out the door and they began their pursuit of the running girl.

_When did it get so cold?_ Akane thought to herself, finding it hard to run with the freezing air assaulting her body.

"Something's wrong with her Shampoo. Can you see it?"

"Aiya! Is wings. Girl is phoenix!"

"A phoenix? Running?"

"Come, we catch. Ask questions then."

Pushing herself even though her muscles ached with the cold, Akane found the speed she needed to gain on her target. Not far behind, Shampoo, panted as large puffs of breath left her nostrils.

*----------*

The phoenix millitary commander didn't even notice the two girls following her, she was too busy driving herself mad thinking about what she saw. The scene repeated over and over in her head, losing none of it's potency on her senses.

She did, however notice as she was tackled to the ground.

She shrieked as she struck the ground.

"I got her!" she heard someone say.

"Aiya! Shampoo was right! Girl **is** phoenix!" a second voice popped in.

Turning over and backing away, the panicked phoenix tried to put a face to those voices.

That girl.No.

That face, the one that haunted her dreams, that sometimes stared back at her through the looking glass.

No.

And her slave.

"Who are you?" Akane demanded

Kiima shrieked.

A dark figure rose behind her captors and soon they did too.


	29. Whispers in my mind

Darkness.

_Click_

Lights flickered to life, banishing the shadows to the far corners and recesses.

The vast space was occupied by boxes and crates of various sizes as well as a very large object covered in brown tarps and rags. In front of the mystery was a large door that came from just below the ceiling, coming all the way to the ground, a much smaller door on the opposite side of the room.

_Click_

Stale air began to circulate as a large ventilation fan squeaked into life. The cloth began to ripple and wave a little, shaking some of the dust away like an animal cleaning its self. This room was obviously neglected and it's contents showed the kind of age acquired from such treatment.

_Click_

The smaller door opened and four figures passed through, utterly dwarfed by magnitude of this space.

"Only you would keep a private jet in a storage shed" A weary voice muttered. "Then again, only you would consider this much space a 'storage shed', Kuno chan"

"There is typically never a need for it Madam" The smallest of the figures responded. "Shall I prepare for our departure?" he continued.

"Please do, Sasuke." The taller figure replied with a raspy voice.

"Honestly brother, you do not take great care for your toys." The last one finally spoke.

--------

_I have come for you_

_You who have been touched by Jusenkyo,_

_Touched by my magic,_

_Caressed by my influence,_

_Guided by my will._

_You who defied the strength of my most hated enemy._

_You are here,_

_You are mine,_

_And once I have the last of you,_

_The world shall fall at my feet._

--------

"Where could I be now?" Ryouga muttered to himself.

He was hoping that his current streak of luck in finding his way would continue, and it was certainly a sore disappointment that he found himself in a darkened cave of some sort. Stumbling around in the darkness was certainly not working and it was getting a little more than annoying. So with nothing better to do, and unable to lose his current location, Ryouga decided to wait and see if something would come to him.

_Click_

Lights came on... waitaminute... Lights?

He could now see that the cave he was wandering in was an immense warehouse filled with dust-covered crates and a rather large something in the center. The dust was so thick in fact that he could make out faint outlines of his footprints against the concrete floor.

_Click_

He felt the dust begin to rise up, the air becoming a little more hostile to his lungs and the surrounding area a little noisier. Fans?

Coughing through the stale dusty air, he stood up to get a better view of his surroundings, making sure that he was not visible to anybody from the outside. He did not need to attract attention now. All he wanted to do was find Nabiki and possibly what the hell was going on.

--------

_Witness my glory_

_Witness my power_

_Does it not please you?_

_Does it not tempt you?_

_Does it not freeze your heart in it's place?_

_I shall give you that which you seek_

_The strength you need_

_Then these insects shall cower at our might._

_Let me win_

_Let me in._

_--------_

"What's in China?" Kodachi asked her guest

"The same thing that always pops up to drag Ranma and those around him into hell" Nabiki smirked "Jusenkyo"

"Ju... senkyo?" A puzzled look came onto Kodachi's face.

"In a mountain region of western China lies a training ground filled with cursed springs. Each spring has some unique curse based upon what died there"

"What does this have to do with Ranma-san?"

"Remember that 'Red-headed hussy' you thought was after him?"

Kodachi nodded, not liking where this was going so far.

"That was Ranma..."

"I don't understand Nabiki... how was that Ranma... these things just don't happen."

"I used to think the same thing before I met him..."

Sasuke had completely removed the tarp, folded it, and placed it in the corner of the room faster than anybody should. Tatewaki was busy loading the aircraft with baggage, bringing in much more than he recalled packing. Distracted, he looked back on his sister and his guest as they conversed, bumping into another pile of crates ready to be loaded.

"Damn!" he mumbled after hitting his shin on the side of one of the crates.

Looking down upon the his injury, he noted no obvious damage and proceeded to lift the next box revealing an unexpected guest. Throwing the crate aside, the kendoist readied his weapon.

"Who are you?" his raspy voice croaked out.

"Hibiki Ryouga... you do remember don't you? I brought Nabiki to you."

"Shit Kuno!" Nabiki cried out after noticing the commotion.

"Have you been following us?" Kuno placed the tip of his bokken at his unexpected visitors thought

"Would you believe I got lost?" Ryouga chucked

Nabiki grumbled from the floor, face vault completed.

"He's ok Kuno... Stand down." Nabiki placed her hand on his arm and guided it down.

The kendoist slowly lowered his weapon but kept his gaze firm.

"What the hell is going on here?" Kodachi demanded.

"That's my line..." Ryouga muttered to himself.

--------

_I can feel your hunger_

_Your pain_

_How lovely it must be._

With no sign of an end to the relentless voice in her head, Akane screamed even louder.


	30. The Suffering

_**-The Suffering-**_

Dawn broke as it always has in the valley... slowly...

Coming up over the mountains and peering through the trees, the first rays made their way towards the ground banishing the shadows to the darker recesses of the earth. The evening had ended, and the day had begun. More sunlight followed, and the sun asserted itself upon this land.

The heat of the still rising sun turned the dew on the ground into a faint mist and the coolness of it all could be felt by all the senses. Taste... Touch... Smell... the water lingered in the air if only to defy the mood of those who still stood. It was crisp and fresh at a time where stale and dry would be more appropriate.

For one reason or another, there were few few who slept that night. The terrible sound of screaming, both outside and within, had worn the men and children thin. Exhaustion had long since set in, but terror had pushed that aside; but with the sun regaining its reign over the sky these fears were squashed by first decree.

Still those screams pierced their ears and hearts though no sound was to be heard. The pain in it, the terror, the hopelessness.

Fathers clung to their children, and the children clung to lucidity. Half-lidded eyes and crow's feet clung to the faces of all in the room, almost frozen in place to that one spot where they witnessed it... where it all began... just beyond that door...

the beginning of the end...

... and within that mist something stirred...

--------

Dampness...

It was cold and damp, and most unpleasant...

...and worst of all, Ranma realized, _it was water_.

"sonnava..." The newly formed female grumbled as she tried to wring the moisture out of her shirt and hair.

"Is this what you were complaining about last night male?" Lao Shen gestured at Ranma

s chest.

"Hey! It's cold!" Ranma yelped "I'm a man dammit! I _shouldn't_ have to deal with things like this!"

"Tsk tsk. So touchy for someone who claims to be a man" a voice from somewhere in the crowd of warriors mutters. Snickers and giggles followed.

"The sun is not fully risen yet, keep your guard up women!" The elder once more spoke up.

"Hey! I'm a man dammit!

--------

The mists were fading, the fog was over, and beyond the door, the village saw emptiness.

There was no great enemy, there was no terrible monster lurking just beyond their sight, there was simply nothing.

Nothing...

but it was still wrong.

You could still feel it, you could feel something. Like a child looks down a darkened hallway in an unfamiliar house, these people looked out that door. Expecting something to frighten them, only to be more frightened at the lack thereof. It was a feeling in their bones like the feeling of a deep chill, both numbing and stinging.

Why wasn't something there?

It was always said that man's greatest fear was the unknown, it was a child's greatest fear as well.

This was absolute proof.

--------

"Can't you feel it?" Wa Kes whispered

"Feel what?" Ranma whispered back

"Exactly... It's gone..." She grimly stated looking over at the stunned face of her fellow elder.

Realization set in throughout the group at what this meant. _Had they won?_

"So this was just a false alarm then, huh?" Ranma snorted.

The elder wrinkled her brow and snorted back at her 'guest' "Tell me _boy_" she stressed the last part to add insult to the word. "People have died over this so called 'False Alarm' since before you came here. Are you really that stupid?"

Ranma looked as if he were struck.

"This thing is a god Ranma, like Saffron. You can't possibly expect it to simply stand down so easily. If it hasn't appeared yet, there's probably a good reason why. It wants to kill the person who defeated Saffron's greatest power... Can you think of another person?"

--------

Xian Pu awoke on the ground, not knowing how she had fallen asleep, with a sickening sense of disorientation. Everything felt as if it had been disconnected and her body was slowly trying to restore normalcy. A million painful pinpricks dotted her body as if she had managed to pinch every nerve in every joint until now.

Spasming more than intentionally moving her head to the side revealed a glimpse of those nearby her as well as a clue as to what happened before she fell. Akane was there, she was also on the ground, as was another person just beyond.

"Kiima" The former amazon managed to breathe. "... and that _thing_"

The clearest nightmare had unfolded in front of her eyes. The waves upon waves of energy that had passed over them, wracking their bodies with pain. The tall visage of a man just beyond the field of view before their vision gave out.

_It had given out, hadn't it?_

It was dark, the maddening kind of darkness, where you lost everything, even yourself. She was completely disconnected, with only screams from the distance to accompany her. They were Akane's screams, but she was unsure of why she was so certain of it. It was agony to hear it. A warrior unable to help those in need, a _friend_ in need.

Then she finally gave out, to the darkness and to the madness. Not knowing how much time she had spent there, or even how she finally succumbed to sleep, or exhaustion.

_Was there much of a difference?_

It was then that Akane rose to her feet.

--------


	31. Blindly marching forward

"...So tell me, where did you get a jet like this?" Ryouga asked nervously "It seems a little... different"

The hulking mass of black and silver metal stood over them with an almost aggressive stance. If this flying monstrosity could talk, it's first words would definitely be _Hey, you do NOT wanna fuck with me,_ lacking this ability, the horrible beast simply stood in the center of the hangar with it's door wide open.

"A little venture our father decided to invest in while his faculties were..." Tatewaki graveled out.

"When he was sane." Kodachi finished

"Are you sure about that?" A puzzled look came to the Tendo's face.

"How many private jets come with stealth plating and a full compliment of weapons?" Ryouga finished her thought while Nabiki barely shrugged off the tendency to sum up the value of what she saw before her.

"I didn't even know that these were legal" Nabiki cooed while running her hands over what appeared to be a missile.

Ryouga looked at their transportation with apprehension. "How did you get something like that?"

"The company was one Mishima Industries. They used to build heavy duty industrial equipment. A few years ago they decided to switch to military-grade arms supply." The Kuno brother stated.

"This doesn't look standard issue..." Nabiki stated as she caressed the armor.

"Some of this is just a little ahead of it's time." Kodachi replied "they claim we can expect to have robots fighting for us within the next fifty years..." she laughed at that thought.

A small ninja in a leather flight suit and scarf appeared before the teenagers with what appeared to be a salute. Nabiki couldn't help but be reminded of an American comic she once read about a dog and a red baron.

"The preparations are made master Kuno" Sasuke finally spoke.

Several moments of silence passed through the room, the effect of those words sinking in.

Finally...

...hesitation passed through the crowd. Silently the decision was made.

They had to go.

Nabiki to rescue her sister...

Tatewaki to guard his three loves...

Kodachi for her sanity and redemption...

Ryouga to find his place in all of this...

...and Sasuke without a choice...

Blindly marching forward towards a war in the east, a war that would determine far more than they could ever imagine, and escalate higher than they were prepared.

-

Saffron shivered, a cold chill ran down his spine.

_It has begun_.

_All over again, it would happen all over again._

Two gods would face each other for control of the mortal realm. Neither backing down until the other had fallen. The damage, the carnage, the sorrow... It would all be unspeakable. Two gods would repeat the cycle of violence, of life and death and eternal stasis.

His brow crinkled.

_Gods?_

Did they deserve that term?

The mortals, merely pawns in this game were the ones who suffered and lost. They had not even started this conflict and were caught still by it. They too were mortal once, but they became more...

Shadow and Light, merely elements, neither living nor dead, and yet...

_We personify those elements..._

_He is shadow when I am light,_

_He is death where I am life,_

_He is the cold to my heat._

_But we chose this..._

Sitting in his throne, the rapidly aging god contemplated the fate of himself and this world.

_Those things that are balanced by the will of others will inevitably fail_

All his careful planning, all this work, he would soon see the results.

Perhaps such careful plans a god does make.

-

Ranma and the Amazon warriors began trudging back towards the village.

A mixture of disappointment and relief rang through the group as they traveled home. Some were speaking of their willingness to have fought in such a glorious battle, others of their worry for their families, a few over thoughts of executing the foreigner. Ranma only thought of Akane, he was worried, and as hard as it was to admit, he did. Every time that they had gone on an adventure, something would always happen to her.

With_ our luck, the god of evil would want to marry her,_ he smiled at that thought, _or at least he won't until he tastes how evil her cooking is. _Unable to help it, he let out a small laugh which was quickly met by dirty looks from his companions.

Though they had dropped their guard for the most part, the warriors still surrounded Ranma

In unison, the entire group stopped, the same feeling from eariler returned.

**Nothing**

The feeling of nothingness permiated from the air ahead... from the village...

-

The five travelers had already ascended into the heavens, their journey was at it's beginning. All the creations of men and gods stood below them, begging for significance to no avail.

To those used to air travel, such a sight was of little significance, to Ryouga it was discomforting to say the least. All things great and small were reduced to a blurry, choppy soup below their feet. Pockets of familiarity illuminated on the ground before him, places he had been before.

_Of course I can find places I recognize, I'm not in control._

The cabin he sat in was both spartan and still luxurious, like something a government agent or spy would travel in. Both hard metal plating and soft cushions added to a stark contrast between strength and comfort, weaponry and leisure.

_Even if they think this was sane, I still think Kuno's family is weird._

A voice from up ahead called out "In about an hour we will enter Chinese airspace, hopefully if the stealth plating is effective enough, we shouldn't be detected"

Ryouga recognized that as of the Kuno's manservant Sasuke.

"What happens if the Chinese see us" He nervously asked

"...then I'm sure that making it to Jusenkyo will be the least of our worries..." Kodachi smiled as she forced out the grim fact.

The air in the cabin suddenly grew thick

-

_**I've taken my first step...**_

_**My prize and the first blood of mine enemies...**_

_**Their suffering is a most pleasant feeling after all these millenia...**_

_**I will have my revenge, this world, and my rightful place as the only god...**_

_**I can feel them all coming to me**_

_**blindly marching forward**_

_**So be it.**_

The form of the being once known as Akane Tendo walked off towards the mountains, leaving only rubble and the damaged bodies of the Amazon tribe behind it.


	32. Sententia part 1

A small mini-chapter showing the thoughts of two familiar characters and a new one, brought into the fold

_Sententia pt 1_:

* * *

I remember when I first saw that face. 

That horrible _female_ face.

The eyes, the lips, the soft cheeks, the most beautiful woman in the world stared back at me from that pool of water. She was distressed, obviously as upset at the situation as I.

Her voice cried out in panic, in terror... some nights in my dreams I still hear it. The sound of that scream and the look on her face burned into my mind to forever haunt me. I thought that I had put such thoughts behind me, that I could one day be free of this terrible curse, of these nightmarish memories.

They remain... they always do.

The drinking, the adventures, the danger I've been in, and I still remember that moment we first met.

Will she forgive me? Could she forgive me?

It is said that the female is always more emotional and irrational than the male. Perhaps that is why these feelings persist.

Perhaps in my dreams I will meet her, perhaps one day she can forgive me for defiling her grave.

Who am I to ask of forgiveness when I am lord of this land?

Perhaps she should ask for it, she is the one who ruined my life. She made me half a man, when I was already half a man.

Is this the true nature of the curse?

All I can do now is stare into the mirror at her face, the woman who claims to be prince Herb.

I defiled her grave.

* * *

What am doing here?

I've never been the type to do such rash things...

...at least not for these reasons.

I could die...

... but I could have already died, I could have fallen a number of times. I could yet fall tomorrow.

This plane could drop right out of the sky, or be shot down by the Chinese military.

All that stands between me and death right now is an inch or two of aluminum. Lovely

This isn't my job, it's Ranma's

These bruises and scars should be his, he should be the one saving me... and Akane...

...how am I to save them both? I barely have the strength to stand.

I'm not father's prized pupil, and even if I was, Ranma would still outclass me.

I hope he's ok.

I hope Akane's ok.

Even Shampoo, she may have ruined an expensive wedding, but... _that's hardly important anymore_.

Most of all, I hope I'm not the only one with butterflies in their stomach.

Can't this thing go any faster?

* * *

He's coming closer.

I can smell him on the wind, feel him on my wings.

That foul name brushes past my lips and my teeth instinctively bite them.

He's coming to kill me.

God to God, that's what he wants.

Somewhere deep down, so do I.

I feel my anger rising from deep within me, anger that is more ancient than these mountains, hatred older than these lands. I must let go of this or he'll win. He knows how to use these feelings, and he will use them against me.

Ah-rin, the Shadow God, the walking death. You created those cursed pools for your own twisted designs, used the souls of the innocent to fuel your magic.

Ah-rin, the creature so devoid of life that even ki escapes him, the very essence of life retreats at his presence.

You're coming to kill me...

I'm going to let you.


	33. Wrath

**A/N**:

Now to take time with the first note I've done in a while. Great to see that people are still reading... It's been a while I know but between a new job and a demanding girlfriend, time just seems to be the commodity I miss most. I would say that things are getting dark and gloomy, but things are already dark and gloomy. _Hey, this is a villain who takes the gloves off..._ none of that sissy "I'll tell you my secret plans and then put you in an easily escapable situation and leave you to die."

You may notice Ranma acting a little _simple_ in this episode... sleep deprivation and fear often turn people into single-minded cases.

**-**

**Wrath**

-

Ashes

The Amazon war party was greeted by ashes. Their houses fallen to the ground, their society in ruins.

Pain

The only noise was the cries of mothers looking for their children and husbands. The only response was the howling of the wind.

Sorrow

The village center was no exception, the shelter shared by the men and children, by Akane and the dishonored one. All of it was gone, all of it had been wiped out overnight.

-

Ranma had found the Amazon village in a state of ruin, the horrible sense of nothing permeated the air. There was nothing left, no living thing remained here, there was no ki, only that feeling of death and nothingness.

There were no survivors, the few bodies they found were no longer even recognizable. All that was left were charred skeletons of houses and children. Not even he could hold the tears from his eyes.

_Akane! Shampoo!_

No...

_It couldn't be_.

All of these people...

This thing spared nothing, no one, it killed as it pleased.

This was all his fault. Damn that Saffron!

No...

It was his fault for defeating Saffron...

The women were crying too, they were also attempting to hold it back.

Why?

His pride, his inability to lose. He had brought this all upon them, upon himself.

Ranma Saotome just lost.

He lost when he first fought the Phoenix god...

...even though Akane...

_Oh No!_

"Akane!"

-

Hopelessness

All the searching was coming up fruitless, all their hopes were being dashed.

Grief

Their loved ones were dead, their village destroyed. The world had ended for them.

Anger

They had been misled, distracted. The enemy had struck at the weakest point, it had outwitted a society focused on war. Ah-rin beat them at their own game.

Hatred

Someone was to be punished. The blame must lie somewhere, the foreigner most likely.

-

Ranma frantically searched among the charred ruins of the Amazon huts.

"Akane!" _Where is she?_ "Where are you Akane?"

No response

_Please be ok, Please_

He left no stone unturned. He dug through the skeleton of every building finding nothing but dust and decay. In his panicked searching, he didn't even notice the women joining him, looking for their loved ones.

Bodies... not burned or bloodied, but aged beyond what was imaginable...

Men and children, old crones and cowards, the sick and the weak...

Withered and destroyed...

The Amazon village was a village of the dead, a village of mummies, both aged and ravaged horribly in a tragically short time.

Akane wasn't among the bodies, that was all her fiance cared about now.

The warriors turned rescue party unearthed the majority of the village finding neither survivors nor the bodies of Akane and Xian Pu.

-

Shampoo tried to move...

She tried to raise her head, to speak out, but all her energy was depleted. Her limbs wouldn't respond, and the very thought of moving sent waves of pain down her spine.

Defeated without a fight.

Perhaps the village council was right to exile her. She had clearly lost to an enemy without even being able to attempt a fight.

_How was Ranma doing?_

She desperately hoped that the thing that attacked her and Akane wasn't what was after Ranma.

_How could he fight something without a body?_

If only her body wasn't so damned weak! She could barely move her fingers. Purple hair matted down with dirt and sweat clung to her face as she gritted her teeth in determination.

_She would get out of here! She would get help!_

Shampoo summoned the last of her strength, the fire from deep within her being and made her last attempt.

-

Ranma's head perked up a bit at the sudden noise from off in the distance. A single shriek pierced the morning fog with a clarity and urgency beyond expectation.

"Shampoo..." he whispered to himself

_If Shampoo's over there, maybe Akane's with her!_


	34. Not quite hell

**Not Quite Hell**

Akane shifted her form and opened her eyes...

Billions of stars gazed back at her stretching out into eternity.

She felt as if she could touch them if she wanted to, not thinking, just knowing it. A feeling of complete peace went through her form as she let the sky soak into her. Gentle breezes caressed her body and it was only then that she noticed she was nude.

"Get up" a calm voice from just out of reach called to her.

Not knowing why she was compelled to, and why this voice was so familiar, she obeyed. Rising to her feet, she looked for the source of this voice, finding none, she hesitantly stepped forward. Her legs felt _wrong,_ like they were hollow. Compensating for the unexpected ease of locomotion, she looked around at her surroundings.

There was grass below her, a soft wet grass that somehow also felt _wrong_. Bushes and small trees grew just a short distance away reflecting a more vibrant green than she thought was possible.

Looking at the grass, she noticed that it too was much brighter than it should have been, as if it were day. The vibrant starry sky and lack of sun or even clouds seemed to disprove that thought.

"Confused?" the voice came again.

The air in front of her shifted, thickened, took color and shape. The air became solid, form came from nothingness.

"...Mother" That face was unmistakable, years of pain and time hadn't yet worn away the image of mother's face.

The woman in front of her smiled a demure smile, her eyes closed slightly, and a blush formed on her cheeks. Somehow Akane instantly thought of Kasumi.

"Who are you then?"

The woman's smile faded a little and a serious look formed. Somehow Akane couldn't help but think of Nabiki.

"I'll tell you if you promise not to be mad" The mysterious figure stated in an almost childlike manner. "I've been given so many names after all... so many faces..." the enigmatic figure waved her hands around as if to gesture a great magnitude.

"I don't think I understand" Akane didn't know why, but her instincts were telling her to fear this woman.

"Nobody does the first time they meet me... So few ever understand even a portion of what I am.." The strange figure giggled "...though they do try."

Akane resisted her natural urges and continued to listen to the strange woman in front of her. She was beautiful, she was so soft and gentle. Why did she instill such fear?

"I imagine that deep down something inside you is telling you to run from me" the woman pouted a bit "...it's perfectly natural. Everyone fears me, the strong and weak alike"

A puzzled look came to the lost girl, her voice came soft and serious as she tried to figure out her companion. "Then who are you?"

"I'm Death" the woman whispered.

* * *

Xian Pu found herself naked in a grassy field staring into the night sky. A soft breeze blew across her, tossing her hair around. The wind was not hot, it was not cold, she could not quite place the feel of the air... it just was. Her purple locks hung above her face as if suspended in water, slowly falling into place.

Despite the night sky above her, she noticed that the field was unnaturally bright, as if the daytime sun was hidden amongst those stars.

None of the former Amazon's senses seemed to be functioning properly. The colors were too vivid for night, the wind was without feeling, and her limbs felt hollow. She wondered why she didn't feel sick, nothing could have ever been more disorienting.

Looking into the bushes and trees just outside of her reach she spotted another anomaly... despite the thick undergrowth she couldn't see or hear a single animal.

While still in training, her great-grandmother had often included survival lessons ranging from the mundane to torturous. Xian Pu knew how to hunt, she knew how to track and stalk prey, yet there were no tracks.

There was simply no evidence of life besides herself.

Just beyond the line of sight, she could swear that a woman giggled.

"I admit, I've never seen anybody adjust to this environment..." a voice from the trees spoke out "though very seldom has anyone analyzed it so much."

The warrior readied herself for a confrontation, her arms and legs seemed all too ready to fight and the incredible ease of their movements caught her off guard.

"Who are you?" Shampoo started, not quite sure that she wanted the answer.

"I'm Death" A demure woman walked out of the thick undergrowth towards her. "... Or at least I'm a representation of Death."

"Mother..." the former Amazon whispered.

* * *

Akane stared at her companion with a look of pure confusion on her face. Here she was, face to face with Death its self... herself... whatever.

"Why do you look like my mother? Is this some kind of joke?" The girl felt as if tears should be welling in her eyes, but they wouldn't come.

"I don't look like your mother" A sigh escaped the entities lips "Life and Death are intertwined, they need each other. All sentient creatures see me as the one who gives them life, as I am the one who takes it."

"What?"

"It makes it easier for you to pass. I only make you think of your mother. I have no true form, my essence is simply a portion of the same consciousness that binds all living things... in a way a collection of the thoughts, dreams, fears, and hopes of all those who have and have yet to pass"

Akane scratched her head feeling much like Ranma did during English class.

"...uh... sure... Where are we?"

"Purgatory... or at least that's what it's been named by your species. The land between life and death for those whose fates are cloudy."

"Cloudy? How is my fate cloudy?"

"You see..." the graceful form of the end of all things started

"WAITAMINUTE! HOW DID I DIE?"

"Your body yet lives, but your soul is no longer attached to it. Something almost beyond my grasp has removed it from you"

"What could possibly be beyond Death's grasp?"

"To answer your question, I said _almost_, and that would be a god..." a somber look came upon her face "... you may be here for quite some time... do you like checkers?"

A/N:

a cookie goes out to whoever guesses what movie and location in that movie inspired my idea of purgatory

Sorry, it's been a while... Life's been sucking lately... My fiance left me... I took a major cutback in my job... and it looks like I may have cancer... in other words, if you're ever depressed just think that your day could be much worse.

A/N pt 2 A/N harder:

actually been working on the next chapter... which will probably be just as dark as the rest, but I'm going to try and direct the story in a far less bloody way (at least for a moment)

and for those of you interested in my personal problems, I quit my job to go back to school full time, I'm probably going to move away from DC to somewhere nicer (read:Not DC), and I do not have cancer afterall, but it may still require surgery. Life's been treating me pretty harsh, but it could always be worse.

PS: seems to keep removing the horizontal lines from my stories making them seem jumbled. it's kinda pissing me off


	35. Memories

Nabiki had the distinct feeling that all was not right with the world.

Only moments ago, she was sitting behind the cockpit of the Kuno family's private war-machine and now she was back at home in bed. She had the strong feeling that she had just awaken from a deep sleep. Looking out the window beside her bed, she noted that it was quite bright outside indicating that she had slept in for quite a while.

Stretching her limbs and gingerly stepping out of bed, all thoughts of the Kuno family and indeed her past predicaments had all but vanished from her mind.

The house was silent... the only noise was the creaking of the boards beneath her feet. Even the outside world was unusually quiet, there were no sounds of birds or people to be found. None of this concerned her though, Nabiki was for all intents and purposes still waking up. The world could wait for her as far as she cared.

The first lucid thought that came to Nabiki's mind was to see if Kasumi had left any breakfast behind for her, though that was not likely since one of the Saotomes had probably wolfed it down. The thought of her older sister started to raise the hairs on the back of her neck, but she couldn't figure out why.

Still intent on finding something to eat, Nabiki made her way down the stairs.

Arriving at the bottom, she found herself outside in a very familiar graveyard.

_Mother_

Four stones silently waited for her, all of them were marked with the name 'Tendo'. She knew who they belonged to without reading any further. From behind, she heard Ranma's voice.

"I'm sorry... I've failed you all"

Fury took hold of her mind, twisting her body in one fluid motion, she turned to the source of the voice. Two more graves presented themselves, both of them marked 'Saotome'. This sight was different however, one of the graves was not filled yet and the head of a certain pig-tailed martial artist just barely rose from the hole.

"I guess I never knew when to give up"

"I don't understand..." Nabiki stammered

A different voice came from behind her "he's too proud Nabiki, if he continues this way, he will die"

_Daddy_

Turning around once more, she found herself in the Tendo home, her father sitting at the end of the room at the shogi table, a certain panda across from him. Akane sat in the corner of the room, mysteriously shadowed given the lighting. Humming could be heard faintly from the kitchen, meaning that Kasumi was likely deep in thought cleaning.

My boy's too proud the panda raised a sign

One of these day's it'll get him killed the reverse side read

"Nabiki... Daughter... So much has been lost already. Bring Ranma home, fulfill the families obligations"

"I don't understand daddy"

"The Tendo family is no more. If we are to continue, you must bring him home and fulfill your obligations"

He doesn't know what he's up against this time the panda looked at her

Save my boy, Save yourself

"What is he fighting daddy?"

"Destiny"

Don't let him stay in China

Bad things always await us in China

Nabiki wanted to say more, but then found herself unable to speak, her body unable to move as if it were made of lead. She could hear her name being called, but not who was calling it, her vision blurred and then grew white.

"Nabiki...

Nabiki...

Nabiki...

Wake up!"

Kodachi appeared just in view, behind her the world was still a blur but was gradually beginning to focus.

"We're here... at least I think we are... your directions weren't that clear" The gymnast noted.

"...however we were able to come across an approximation based upon your earlier accounts of the geography..." Sasuke added "...and as per your warning, we've avoided the pools."

"Good" Nabiki managed to make out with a grunt as she got up "Now lets get that jackass and my sister before something happens to them"

"Now let us be off" Kuno rasped

* * *

There are certain things that can never be fixed... certain wounds that will never heal... Ranma Saotome knows all about such wounds. The Neko-ken, the curse, and lastly his encounter with the thing that looked like Mousse.

Ranma had never before had to kill another man, the very thought of taking the life of another person had disgusted him. Admittedly while briefly female, he had thought about how much easier things would be without a certain 'Master' and a certain Kuno sibling (ok, maybe this was while in both sexes) but he would never be able to bring himself to commit to this.

It was the duty of a martial artist to protect himself and others... Killing would only come as a last resort. Weaken your enemy, disable him... that was the plan. Until that incident, the plan had worked.

He had lost himself, he had lost his innocence, he had lost his mind.

Ranma hadn't quite remembered what had happened only that he left the Nekohanten with blood on his hands. There was no body to be found but the image of another's blood had never really left his mind.

He had killed someone. Whether or not he had lost his mind, the fact remains that he had taken a life.

Now he had finally lost one. Though no body was found, Ranma feared the worst. The Amazons had lost their families, Shampoo would not wake up, and the unconscious body of Kiima was found nearby her.

Akane was missing.

Ranma feared the worst. This enemy didn't hold back, it wasn't slowed by honor or tradition. This enemy didn't fear death or retribution. It killed everything in its way.

This was the first enemy that Ranma actually feared. This thing had killed Happosai, Cologne, and probably others without a second thought.

It probably killed Akane.

This was a thought he didn't want, an image that he couldn't ignore. Akane was gone. She was the only other person in that room with Saffron.

If not him, who else could Ah-rin be after?

NO!

She was waiting for him somewhere! She was attacked in the night and was waiting for him after the sunrise.

Sunrise was when the end of Ah-rin's chance, wasn't it?

That creature attacked Akane to get to him since he was protected. That had to be what happened.

_That isn't true_

He knew that he was just deluding himself. That wasn't how this enemy acted at all, he had no evidence to believe that Akane would be alive, _even if he was right_.

All he could do now is search.

* * *

Saffron knew that the worst was coming, that the end was near, but he didn't mind it very much. He had lived a long, full life and had seen many things that no mere mortal could have hoped to witness. He had lived to see his own race, the Angels, go extinct. He had witnessed his children, the offspring of himself and the humans grow to become the phoenix. The culture and majesty of his ancient people slowly returning in the form of his children.

He witnessed death.

The only thing that remains constant in the universe was death... it was the only privilege that had escaped him.

The death of the Angels, the death of the Changelings, the death of the Shadows, the death of so many of his loves still echoed in his heart. He had watch Ah-rin destroy them all. The peoples who had first inhabited this world, were gone. The magic had faded, the memories became legends, the legends became myths, the myths, forgotten.

First came the essences, then the gods. The true gods, not the artificial ones like him, had created all matter and form in the universe. The universe was a large and lonely place though and they sought company.

The god of Creation sought more like him... he brought forth the Man...

Men were consumed by their desire to create a world that fit them... They cared not for what had come before them. The world should adapt to them and they should create everything the gods themselves left out. Mankind was only truly happy when he got to test himself.

The god of Change sought more like him... and he brought forth the Changelings...

They were they most mysterious of the gods creations... They cared not for changing the world, but themselves. They had desired only to find their place in the world and would alter themselves to suit it. They could be the flowers, the trees, the water, and they were happy.

The god Stasis sought more like him... and he brought forth the Angels...

The Angels designated themselves the protectors of the world, the defenders of the gods and their creations. The only thing that they seemed to be interested in was keeping the status quo and for that reason had frequently clashed with the other races... particularly man.

The god of Destruction, while generally disliked, sought more like him... he brought forth the Shadows...

The Shadows were the most fierce of all the creations... Their purpose was to clear the world. Without them, there was no room for creation, however when they had gone too far there would be no creation left.

Every race had a role, and for a time, things were good. Each race had balanced out the others, each purpose was both conflicting and complimentary to the others. Each race was set in its ways.

Then the first hybrids arose.

Saffron himself was the child of a human woman and an angel. He was not bound by destiny, he was not forced into any role.

No one had looked down upon this... though he was free to choose his destiny, that choice was the most difficult any being had ever faced.

Ah-rin was the offspring of a shadow and a changeling. He was also not bound by a set destiny and was free to choose his path. It was Ah-rin that destroyed the balance. He had taken advantage of his nature adapting himself and corrupting everything he touched.

Ah-rin consumed the shadows, using their power to strengthen himself, he slaughtered the changelings, the magic in their blood forming what would later come to be called the Jusenkyo springs.

It was all this power that he used to ascend... Ah-rin became the first artificial god.

The maintainers could not believe this... the two races were nearly wiped out by a single being. A mortal creature had become a god and this was simply unacceptable.

Saffron hated the choice he later made.


End file.
